OF  THE 


EVANGELICAL  LUTHERAN 


SYNOD  OF  MIAMI 


UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 

SAN  DIEGO 
Donated  in  memory  of 


John  W.    Snvder 


by 


His  Son  and  Daughter 


UH1VERSITY  Of 
CALIFORNIA 

SAN  DIEGO 


RHV.    ABRAHAM    RECK. 
Born  January  2,  1791.      Died  May  18,  1869. 


'C 


HISTORY 


OF  THE 


EVANGELICAL  LUTHERAN 


SYNOD  OF  MIAMI. 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE  SYNOD. 


PHILADELPHIA: 
LUTHERAN  PUBLICATION  SOCIETY. 


upon  tljr  I'ounfcattou  of  tl)e  apoetleo  auU  propb 
eto,  3?£8HG  Cbrtet  himself  faetngf  tbr  rljtrf  corner  atonr 
— Ephesians  ii.  20. 


TABLE;  OK  CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

1.  PRIOR  TO  ORGANIZATION  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD  .  7 

2.  DOCTRINAL  BASIS 12 

3.  DIFFICULT  WORK 23 

4.  DENOMINATIONAL  COMITY  AND  CO-OPERATION 

IN  MORAL  REFORM 29 

5.  SYNODICAL  BOUNDARIES 32 

6.  PASTORAL  CHARGES 34 

7.  PAROCHIAL  TABLE 36 

8.  CONFERENCE  DISTRICTS 41 

9.  SYNODICAL  RELATIONS  TO  WITTENBERG  COL- 

LEGE  ,    .  43 

10.  BENEFICIARY  EDUCATION 47 

11.  RELATIONS  TO  GENERAL  SYNOD 55 

12.  DELEGATES  TO  GENERAL  SYNOD 55 

13.  CHURCH  PROPERTY  SOLD 58 

14.  DEATH  ROLL 59 

15.  OUR  CIVIL  WAR              .........  61 

(iii) 


iv  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

1 6.  SYNODICAL  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  CONVENTION  .  .  64 

17.  WOMAN'S  SYNODICAL  MISSIONARY  SOCIETIES.  65 

1 8.  SYNODICAL  CONVENTIONS — WHERE  HELD  .    .  67 

19.  HISTORY  OF  CONGREGATIONS 69 

20.  FRAGMFNTA 93 

21.  ANNIVERSARY  ADDRESS    ,  08 


PRKKACK. 


MANY  things  of  interest  are  omitted  in  this  history 
because  the  Miami  Synod  instructed  me  not  to  ex- 
ceed one  hundred  and  seventy-five  pages.  Out  of 
the  large  amount  of  material  I  may  have  selected 
some  things  that  other  persons  would  have  omitted, 
but  what  I  have  chosen  to  use  is  according  to  my 
best  judgment. 

There  is  much  of  very  great  interest  connected 
with  the  Sunday-school  Association,  the  Young  Peo- 
ple's Societies,  the  Women's  Societies,  and  Witten- 
berg College,  but  these  all  have  special  organizations 
and  their  own  history,  consequently  the  notice  of 
them  is  very  brief. 

Some  of  the  readers  may  suppose  that  the  antago- 
nism between  the  Ohio  and  Miami  Synods  ought  to 
be  omitted  at  this  time,  when  our  Lutheran  household 
is  coming  to  better  understanding  of  each  other's 
true  convictions  and  purposes ;  but  the  history  would 
be  very  imperfect  without  some  account  of  the  rela- 
tions of  these  Synods  to  each  other,  as  they  operated 
on  the  same  territory.  And  the  facts  as  they  existed 
in  the  past  when  compared  with  the  present  more 
(v) 


vi  PREFACE. 

fair  and  fraternal  relations,  will  be  encouraging  to  all 
who  desire  the  best  things  for  our  Lutheran  Zion. 

I  wish  to  acknowledge  the  assistance  given  me  by 
pastors  and  others  in  obtaining  facts  of  history,  espe- 
cially the  information  given  me  by  Dr.  A.  J.  Weddell, 
of  Norristown,  Pa. 

A  somewhat  completed  history  of  the  individual 
congregations  would  be  intensely  interesting.  Be- 
sides what  is  in  this  book,  I  have  sent  to  the  Historical 
Society  much  valuable  matter  from  all  the  congrega- 
gations,  except  a  very  few  from  which  I  failed  to 
obtain  any  specific  information.  Hoping  the  little 
book  will  be  useful,  and  that  it  will  be  charitably 
dealt  with,  I  now  submit  it  to  whatever  disposition  the 
Synod's  Committee  will  make  of  it. 

A.  J.  IMHOFF. 


THK  HISTORY 


OF 


AlIAMI    SYNOD. 


PRIOR  TO  THE  ORGANIZATION  OF  THE   MIAMI   SYNOD. 

WHEN  the  State  of  Ohio  was  admitted  to  the  Union 
in  1803,  Lutheran  people,  in  considerable  numbers, 
were  already  on  her  southern  territory.  They  came 
from  Pennsylvania,  Maryland  and  Virginia.  They 
were  mostly  farmers,  attracted  by  new,  rich  lands. 
The  European  population  came  at  a  later  date,  and 
usually  settled  in  the  towns  and  villages.  These  from 
the  eastern  States  were  at  an  early  day  chiefly  in 
Perry,  Fairfield,  Pickaway,  Montgomery  and  Butlep- 
counties. 

The  first  missionary  sent  out  was  George  Forster, 
who  came  in  1805  to  Fairfield  county.  In  a  short 
time  he  was  followed  by  J.  Stough,  who  came  to  Co- 
lumbiana  county.  These  were  followed  by  others,  so 
that  in  1812  their  number  had  increased  to  twelve, 
eight  of  whom  were  in  Ohio,  three  in  Western  Penn- 
sylvania, and  one  in  Western  Virginia.  Most  of  these 
(7) 


8  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

were  sent  out  by  the  Ministerium  of  Pennsylvania. 
They  organized  a  special  conference  in  1812,  in  Pas- 
tor Weygand's  parish,  in  Washington  county,  Pa. 
These  special  conferences  were  held,  at  stated  times, 
until  1818,  when,  at  a  meeting  in  Somerset,  Ohio, 
these  missionaries,  by  their  own  action,  became  an 
independent  body,  and  led  the  way  to  the  final  or- 
ganization of  the  Joint  Synod  of  Ohio  and  Adjacent 
States,  which  held  its  first  session  in  1833.  Its  origin 
and  development  was  the  result  of  Christian  zeal  to 
preach  the  gospel  to  destitute  Lutheran  people.  This 
Ohio  Synod  was  cordially  invited  to  unite  with  the 
General  Synod,  but  for  confessional  reasons  it  has 
always  been  an  independent  body,  except  the  nine 
years  that  it  was  in  the  Synodical  Conference.  It  has 
had  a  steady  growth,  and  is  actively  engaged  in  all 
the  departments  of  church  work.  It  established  the 
Theological  Seminary  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  in  1833,  and 
the  Capital  University  in  1850,  and  sustains  three 
other  important  schools  in  the  interests  of  clerical  and 
pedagogic  education. 

In  1844,  when  the  Miami  Synod  was  organized,  the 
pastors  of  this  Joint  Synod  occupied  much  of  the 
territory  of  Southern  Ohio.  Some  of  the  more  promi- 
nent men  were  located  as  follows  :  C.  F.  Schaeffer,  at 
Lancaster ;  John  Wagenhals,  at  Lithopolis ;  - 
Albrecht,  at  Tarleton ;  A.  J.  Roof,  at  Circleville ; 
James  Manning,  at  Uniontown ;  C.  Spielmann,  at 
Somerset ;  Henry  Heinecke,  at  Miamisburg ;  A.  Hen- 
kle,  at  Germantown ;  D.  P.  Rosenmiller,  at  Dayton ; 


PRIOR  TO  THE  ORGANIZATION.  9 

M.  Loy,  at  Delaware ;  Amos  Bartholomew,  at  Zanes- 
ville ;  S.  Kemmerer,  at  Adamsville. 

The  pastors  on  this  territory  who  were  not  con- 
nected with  the  Joint  Synod  were :  of  the  Synod  of 
Maryland,  A.  J.  Weddell,  at  Tarlton,  and  Ezra  Keller, 
at  Springfield ;  of  the  Synod  of  the  West,  A.  Reck,  at 
Cincinnati,  N.  B.  Little,  near  Tarlton,  and  J.  Surface, 
at  Dodsonville ;  of  the  English  Synod  of  Ohio,  John 
Lehman,  at  Xenia,  and  George  Sill,  at  Millville. 
These  seven  pastors,  belonging  to  three  different 
Synods,  and  widely  scattered,  had  but  weak  churches, 
whilst  the  pastors  of  the  Joint  Synod  had  large  con- 
gregations. 

In  the  summer  of  1 844  the  English  Synod  of  Ohio, 
now  the  East  Ohio  Synod,  met  in  Wooster,  and  the 
question  of  a  new  Synod  was  agitated,  but  no  action 
was  taken,  because  some  were  not  willing,  on  account 
of  the  extreme  "  new  measures "  prevailing  in  the 
English  Synod  of  Ohio,  to  affiliate  with  any  Synod 
that  could  be  formed  by  a  mere  division  and  fixing 
of  boundary  lines.  They  wanted  an  entirely  new 
organization.  Consequently  they  rested  the  agitation 
at  this  meeting  in  Wooster,  and  immediately  pro- 
ceeded to  arrange  for  a  convention  to  be  held  for  the 
purpose  of  considering  the  propriety  of  forming  a  new 
Synod  of  Lutheran  people.  This  convention  was 
called  in  Xenia,  Ohio,  to  meet  on  the  i6th  of  Octo- 
ber, 1844.  The  meeting  was  held  in  the  German 
Reformed  church,  and,  after  a  sermon  by  Prof.  E. 
Keller,  was  organized  by  appointing  Rev.  J.  Crigler, 


I0  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

Chairman,  and  Rev.  D.  P.  Rosenmiller,  Secretary. 
The  following  persons  then  presented  their  names  to 
be  enrolled  as  Delegates  to  the  convention : 

Rev.  A.  Reck,  Cincinnati,  O.,  Synod  of  the  West. 

Rev.  J.  Crigler,  Florence,  Ky.,  Synod  of  the  West. 

Rev.  J.  Krack,  Madison,  Ind.,  Synod  of  the  West. 

Rev.  D.  P.  Rosenmiller,  Dayton,  O.,  Joint  Synod  of 
Ohio. 

Rev.  C.  F.  Schaeffer,  Lancaster,  O.,  Joint  Synod  of 
Ohio. 

Rev.  E.  Keller,  Springfield,  O.,  Synod  of  Maryland. 

Rev.  J.  Surface,  Ridgeville,  O.,  Synod  of  the  West. 

Rev.  Geo.  Sill,  Millville,  O.,  English  Synod  of  Ohio. 

Rev.  J.  Lehman,  Xenia,  O.,  English  Synod  of  Ohio. 

Rev.  H.  Baker,  Mount  Vernon,  O.,  English  Synod 
of  Ohio. 

Mr.  Jeremiah  Carpenter,  Ridgeville  O. 

Mr.  John  Bowers,  Xenia,  O. 

These  Delegates  were  then  led  in  prayer  by  the 
Secretary,  Rev.  D.  P.  Rosenmiller,  after  which  they 
organized  themselves  into  The  Evangelical  Lutheran 
Synod  of  Miami  by  appointing  a  committee  to  draft 
and  present  a  Constitution.  On  the  following  day 
the  committee  reported  that  they  had  examined  the 
Constitution  proposed  by  the  General  Synod  of  our 
Church  for  District  Synods,  arid  recommended  its 
adoption  with  such  amendments  as  would  be  required. 
This  report  was  accepted.  The  Constitution  was 
then,  after  careful  consideration,  adopted  article  by 
article  with  the  proposed  amendments,  after  which  an 


PRIOR  TO  THE  ORGANIZATION.  n 

election  was  had  for  officers  of  the  Synod,  which  re- 
sulted in  the  choice  of  C.  F.  Schaeffer,  President ; 
D.  P.  Rosenmiller,  Secretary,  and  J.  Surface,  Treas- 
urer. 

An  effort  was  made  to  gather  into  this  new  Synod 
about  to  be  organized  upon  these  principles  all  the 
conservative  men  in  the  West.  Prof.  Keller  in  found- 
ing Wittenberg  College  sought  the  co-operation  of  all 
who  would  disregard  non-essential  differences  and 
unite  to  put  our  Church  upon  an  influential  position. 
It  was  at  one  time  hoped  that  not  only  Schaeffer  and 
Rosenmiller,  of  the  Joint  Synod,  but  also  the  Barthol- 
omews, Greenwald,  Roof,  Heinecke,  Henkle  and  some 
others  would  unite  in  the  new  organization  :  but  they 
hesitated,  and  finally  declined  to  do  so. 

The  leaders  in  this  movement  were  intelligent  men, 
looking  with  prophetic  vision  to  the  future  of  a  great 
Lutheran  Church  in  this  country.  They  were  liberal- 
minded  men,  who  rose  above  the  narrow  prejudices 
which  always  control  extremists.  They  sought  to 
found  a  high-toned  church  with  a  dignified  worship 
and  a  pure  Christian  morality.  They  had  no  sym- 
pathy with  a  dead  formality  which  knew  nothing  but 
orthodoxy,  and  they  were  not  willing  to  affiliate  with 
an  ignorant  fanaticism  which  ignored  orthodoxy  and 
reveled  in  a  play  of  religious  fancies  and  animal  feel- 
ings. They  had  been  broadened  by  their  experience 
with  these  extremes,  and  were  now  able  to  appre- 
hend the  truth  and  lay  the  foundations  of  a  com- 
ing church  upon  a  basis  that  would  secure  permanent 


12 


HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 


results  and  extensive  usefulness.  They  gathered  out 
of  the  extremes  true  orthodoxy  and  the  measures  best 
suited  to  promote  religious  activity — holy  living,  in- 
telligent piety,  and  large,  benevolent,  enthusiastic  work 
in  propogating  the  gospel  of  Christ,  and  building  up 
his  kingdom.  Consequently,  they  adopted  as  meas- 
ures the  prayer-meeting,  the  protracted  meetings,  the 
Sunday-schools,  the  catechetical  class  ;  and  they  em- 
phasized the  importance  of  an  orderly  stated  worship, 
the  right  administration  of  the  ordinances,  and  the 
regular  preaching  of  the  gospel  in  practical  and  doc- 
trinal sermons  carefully  prepared  by  an  educated  min- 
istry. Neither  were  they  willing  that  all  this  should 
rest  upon  the  shifting  sands  of  modern  or  even  Amer- 
ican religious  isms,  but  upon  a  true  orthodoxy ;  and, 
as  Lutherans,  they  believed  the  teachings  of  their  own 
Church  to  be  founded  upon  the  infallible  Word  of  God. 
Hence,  they  made  their  doctrinal  basis  to  be  that  in- 
fallible Word,  the  Augustana  and  Luther's  Smaller  Cat- 
echism, nothing  more  and  nothing  less.  And  as  will 
be  shown  in  this  history,  our  Synod  still  rests  upon 
these  active  measures  and  these  sound  doctrines,  and 
all  attempts,  so  far,  to  remove  these  foundations  have 
failed. 

DOCTRINAL    BASIS. 

The  men  who  organized  this  new  Synod  upon  the 
territory  occupied  by  other  I  Aitheran  Synods  were  not 
indifferent  to  the  doctrinal  position  it  would  occupy. 

When  they  said,  in  the  preamble  to  their  Constitu- 


DOCTRINAL  BASIS.  13 

tion,  "We  receive  the  Augsburg  Confession  and  Lu- 
ther's Smaller  Catechism  as  writings  in  which  the  Word 
of  God  are  set  forth  in  a  manner  substantially  correct," 
they  clearly  understood  that  they  were  accepting 
teachings  of  the  Word  of  God  which  would  sufficiently 
distinguish  them  from  the  other  religious  denomina- 
tions. It  was  no  hasty  action ;  for  President  C.  F. 
SchaefTer,  in  his  annual  report  at  the  next  meeting  of 
Synod,  says  :  "  The  principles  by  which  this  body  shall 
be  governed  were  discussed  at  the  late  meeting.  We 
agreed  to  discard  all  those  invidious  distinctions,  the 
operation  of  which  was  to  place  the  different  portions 
of  our  Church  in  antagonistic  attitudes ;  and  we  firmly 
resolved  to  exclude  from  our  midst,  as  far  as  human 
foresight  and  diligence  could  prevail,  all  seeds  of  dis- 
union and  strife.  Prompted  by  such  motives,  and 
acting,  indeed,  from  stern  necessity,  which  compelled 
the  adoption  of  strictly  Lutheran  and  American  prin- 
ciples, we  organized  a  Synod  which  shall  employ  its 
energies  in  promoting  the  interests,  not  of  any  relig- 
ious faction,  but  those  of  our  venerable  Lutheran 
Church."  He  says  further,  "  We  were  all  cheered,  too, 
at  our  recent  meeting  by  discovering  the  unanimity 
of  sentiment  which  existed  respecting  the  most  ap- 
propriate modes  of  exhibiting  Christian  truth  and  of 
leading  men  to  the  Saviour.  As  it  is  essential,  in  the 
mighty  conflict  between  truth  and  error,  that  our  Lu- 
theran host  should  be  always  recognized  in  the  vast 
army  of  the  Lord  by  its  own  glorious  banner,  we 
promptly  and  gladly  declared  our  firm  adherence  to 


1 4  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

the  Augsburg  Confession  as  a  successful  exhibition  of 
divine  truth.  We  acknowledged  the  unrivaled  excel- 
lence of  Luther's  Smaller  Catechism,  and  the  blessed 
results  arising  from  a  judicious  and  faithful  course  of 
catechetical  lectures.  As. the  terms 'Old  Measures' 
and  '  New  Measures '  are,  particularly  in  the  West,  so 
unmeaning  and  vague  as  to  be  no  longer  an  index  of 
the  religious  opinions  and  practices  of  those  to  whose 
course  they  aie  applied,  we  did  not  deem  them  of 
sufficient  importance  to  receive  from  our  body  an  offi- 
cial definition.  Whilst  we  agreed  to  pronounce  our 
unqualified  disapprobation,  on  the  one  hand,  of  all 
that  tends  to  substitute  mere  formality  for  enlightened 
Christian  zeal,  or  that  confirms  men  in  impenitence 
and  sin,  and,  on  the  other  hand,  of  all  that  promotes 
mere  animal  excitement  or  fanaticism,  we  were  satis- 
fied that  another  position,  distinct  from  these  ex- 
tremes, might  be  found  and  successfully  maintained 
by  pastors." 

The  founders  were  much  exercised  concerning  the 
doctrines  and  usages  that  should  prevail  in  the 
churches  of  the  Synod  they  had  established.  They 
frequently  express  their  anxiety  about  these  matters. 
President  D.  P.  Rosenmiller,  in  his  annual  report  at 
the  third  meeting,  says  :  "  Let  us  be  careful  to  blend 
the  wisdom  of  the  serpent  with  the  harmlessness  of 
the  dove ;  avoiding  cold  formality  on  the  one  hand 
and  wild  enthusiasm  on  the  other,  let  us  see  to  it  that 
all  things  be  done  decently  and  in  order  in  all  the 
churches  under  our  care."  And  again  in  his  report 


DOCTRINAL  BASIS.  15 

to"  the  fourth  meeting,  he  says  :  "  I  may  venture  to 
commend  to  the  nurturing  care  of  my  brethren  the 
doctrines  and  principles  of  our  beloved  church." 
The  peculiar  state  of  the  people  on  their  field  of  labor 
was  the  occasion  for  this  anxiety.  Of  this  condition 
of  the  people  Rev.  C.  F.  Shaeffer  says  :  "We  find  in 
the  region  of  country  in  which  we  reside  an  almost 
heterogenious  mass  of  materials  which  are,  collect- 
ively, styled  the  Lutheran  Church.  Some  who  bear 
our  ecclesiastical  name  were  reared  in  other  churches, 
or  have,  previous  to  their  union  with  us,  not  adopted 
any  clear  and  decided  religious  opinions ;  others  have 
been  educated  in  the  bosom  of  our  Church  in  the 
West,  but  in  different  communities,  and  their  views 
and  opinions  are  found  to  be  variously  modified.  To 
these  are  added  many  members  who  have  removed 
from  the  Eastern  States,  and  who  bring  with  them  fixed 
principles  of  action  in  ecclesiastical  affairs,  to  some 
of  which  they  find  at  times  nothing  analogous  in  the 
particular  Lutheran  congregation  near  which  they  re- 
side. A  large  influx  of  members  from  different  Ger- 
man states  and  the  northeastern  departments  of 
France  near  the  Rhine,  has  swelled  our  ranks  during 
the  last  decade.  Among  these  a  surprising  diversity 
of  opinions  is  found,  on  close  inspection,  to  prevail, 
owing  in  part  to  the  union  of  the  Lutheran  and  Ger- 
man Reformed  churches  in  some  territories,  and  in 
part  to  the  latitudinarian,  to  the  mystic,  to  the  hyper- 
orthodox  and  to  the  scriptural  systems  of  faith  adopted 
by  the  opposing  parties  of  our  Church  in  Europe." 


1 6  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

The  effort  by  the  major  part  of  the  members  of  the 
Synod,  was  to  harmonize  this  diversity,  by  making  the 
non-essentials  of  religion  matters  of  indifference,  and 
gathering  together  all  who  were  more  concerned  for 
the  substance  of  religion  than  for  their  own  prejudices 
for  and  against  measures  and  insignificant  distinctions. 
They  sought  to  speak  peacefully  to  all,  to  manifest  a 
conciliatory  spirit  and  yet  maintain  a  firm  and  un- 
compromising position  in  all  matters  of  essential  im- 
portance. They  felt  that  they  had  assumed  obliga- 
tions which  required  them  to  be  bold  yet  patient, 
humble  yet  zealous ;  to  be  all  things  to  all  men,  yet 
unyielding  in  contending  for  the  true  faith  of  the  gos- 
pel of  Christ.  The  work  they  had  undertaken  was, 
however,  difficult.  Extremists  would  continue  to 
press  their  views,  and  a  constant  resistance  had  to  be 
made.  Hence,  at  the  sixth  meeting,  they 

"  Resolved,  That  we,  the  Miami  Synod,  believe  that  protracted 
meetings,  revivals  of  religion,  prayer-meetings,  religious  confer- 
ences and  Sabbath-schools,  are  in  accordance  with  the  teachings 
of  the  Bible,  and  that  upon  these  depends  in  a  great  measure 
the  prosperity  of  our  Lutheran  Zion." 

They  also 

Resolved,  That  the  Synod  of  Miami  still  adheres  to  the  sen- 
timent which  received  our  sanction  at  the  last  annual  meeting, 
viz:  "That  the  Miami  Synod  was  formed  upon  the  basis  of  mu- 
tual concession  for  the  sake  of  mutual  good  will  in  reference  to 
measures.  Let  this  always  be  kept  in  view,  and  let  the  Miami 
Synod  remain,  as  it  has  been  heretofore,  the  olive  branch  held 
up  between  the  two  ultra  parties,  which  have  so  frequently 
threatened  to  rend  in  pieces  our  ancient  and  beloved  Zion." 


DOCTRINAL  BASIS.  17 

These  resolutions  do  not  in  any  apparent  way  con- 
flict, yet  the  the  phrase  "  upon  these  depends,  in  a 
great  measure,"  found  in  the  latter  part  of  the  first  res- 
olution, undoubtedly  called  out  the  second,  and  there 
must  have  been  discussion,  though,  in  all  probability, 
it  was  friendly;  for  both  resolutions  were  adopted. 
Ultraists  and  extremists  have  never  very  greatly  dis- 
turbed the  practical  work  of  this  Synod. 

After  these  first  meetings,  in  which  it  was  proper  to 
adjust  the  questions  of  doctrine,  no  further  action  on 
this  subject  was  had  until  at  the  thirteenth  meeting  in 
1856,  at  Tarlton,  Ohio,  the  Synod  was  asked  by  a  res- 
olution of  Miami  Conference,  to  adopt  the  Definite 
Synodical  Platform.  The  resolution  was  referred  to  a 
committee  of  three,  who  divided  and  presented  a 
majority  and  minority  report.  Neither  of  the  reports, 
however,  recommended  the  adoption  of  the  platform 
as  a  whole.  And,  after  much  discussion  and  frequent 
voting,  the  majority  report  was  so  amended  as  to 
read : 

We  reject, 

1.  The  approval  of  the  ceremonies  of  the  Mass. 

2.  Private  Confession  and  Absolution. 

3.  The  denial  of  the  divine  obligation  of  the  Christian  Sab- 
bath. 

4.  Baptismal  Regeneration. 

5.  The  real  presence  of  the  body  and  blood  of  the  Saviour  in 
the  eucharist. 

We  also  reject  the  preamble,  resolutions  and  disclaimer  accom- 
panying what  is  commonly  called  the  Definite  Synodical  Plat- 
form, and  receive  the  Original  Augsburg  Confession,  so  far  as  it 


1 8  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

is  consistent  with  the  foregoing  five  articles  of  rejection,  relating 
to  the  Mass,  Confession,  Christian  Sabbath,  Baptismal  Regenera- 
tion and  Real  Presence. 

This  action  was  with  undue  haste,  for  a  committee 
appointed  to  publish  this  Confessional  Basis,  together 
with  the  Augsburg  Confession,  as  adopted  in  a  re- 
stricted sense,  the  Apostles'  and  Nicene  Creeds  and 
the  Constitution  of  the  Miami  Synod,  reported  at  the 
next  annual  meeting  that  the  action  of  the  last  meet- 
ing had  made  an  alteration  in  the  Confessional  Basis 
of  the  Synod,  and  this  had  been  done  in  violation  of 
the  Constitution,  which  provided  that  such  change 
could  be  made  only  by  two-thirds  of  the  members 
agreeing  that  such  change  might  be  presented  at  the 
next  annual  meeting  for  consideration  and  action. 
Consequently  the  proceeding  so  far  was  inoperative 
and  void.  The  committee,  however,  proposed  the 
following  as  a  Confessional  Basis  to  be  adopted  at  the 
meeting  one  year  hence  : 

We  believe  that  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New  Testament 
are  our  only  and  infallible  rule  of  faith  and  practice. 

We  receive  the  Augsburg  Confession  and  Luther's  Smaller 
Catechism  as  writings  in  which  the  fundamental  doctrines  of  the 
Word  of  God  are  set  forth  in  a  manner  substantially  correct, 
and  these  fundamental  doctrines  we  hold  to  be : 

1st.  The  Divine  inspiration,  authority  and  sufficiency  of  the 
Holy  Scriptures. 

2d.  The  right  and  duty  of  private  judgment  in  the  interpreta- 
tion of  the  Scriptures. 

3d.  The  unity  of  the  Godhead  and  the  Trinity  of  the  Persons 
therein. 


DOCTRINAL  BASIS.  19 

4th.  The  total  depravity  of  human  nature  in  consequence  of 
the  fall. 

5th.  The  incarnation  of  the  Son  of  God,  His  work  of  Atone- 
ment for  sinners  of  mankind  and  Mediatorial  intercession  and 
reign. 

6th.  The  justification  of  the  sinner  by  faith  alone. 

7th.  The  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  regeneration  and 
sanctification  of  the  sinner  by  faith  alone. 

8th.  The  Divine  institution  of  the  Christian  Ministry  and  the 
obligation  and  perpetuity  of  Baptism  and  the  Lord's  Supper. 

gth.  The  immortality  of  the  soul  and  the  judgment  of  the 
world  by  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  with  the  eternal  blessedness  of 
the  righteous  and  the  eternal  punishment  of  the  wicked. 

We  further  affirm  that  we  utterly  repudiate  and  abhor  the 
following  errors,  viz. : 

1st.  The  approval  of  the  Ceremonies  of  the  Mass. 

2d.  Auricular  Confession  and  Absolution. 

3d.  The  denial  of  the  divine  obligation  of  the  Christian  Sab- 
bath. 

4th.  Baptismal  Regeneration,  that  is,  that  Baptism  is  neces- 
sarily connected  with  or  attended  by  an  internal  spiritual  change 
ex  opere  operate,  or  from  the  mere  outward  performance  of  the 
act. 

5th.  The  gross  and  material  presence  of  the  body  and  blood 
of  Christ  in  the  Lord's  Supper.* 

All  of  which  was  unanimously  submitted  by  the  committee. 

M.  DIEHL, 
F.  W.  CONRAD. 
W.  H.  HARRISON, 
A.  BARTHOLOMEW, 
N.  B.  LITTLE. 

*  It  is  unfortunate  that  these  Romish  errors  are  referred  to  in 
this  connection.  They  are  not  now,  and  never  were,  taught  by 
the  Lutheran  Church,  and  yet  this  action  seems  to  imply  that 
they  were,  or  might  be,  entertained  by  Lutheran  people. 


20  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

The  report  was  considered  by  items,  and  the  Com- 
mittee's report  was  received  for  consideration  and 
final  adoption  at  the  next  annual  meeting. 

At  the  next  annual  meeting  a  motion  was  made  to 
strike  out  all  pertaining  to  the  errors  that  we  are  said 
there  to  repudiate.  After  some  discussion  the  mo- 
tion to  strike  out  was  withdrawn,  and  the  report  of 
the  committee,  as  presented  last  year,  was  unani- 
mously adopted  as  a  whole.  But  before  the  Synod 
closed,  the  following  amendment,  to  be  considered 
at  the  next  annual  meeting,  was  offered,  viz :  To  in- 
sert in  the  place  of,  "  We  further  affirm,"  etc.,  these 
words : 

AND  WHEREAS,  The  charge  has  been  made  that  the  following 
prrors  are  taught  in  the  Augsburg  Confession,  we  hereby  declare 
that  such  charge  cannot  be  sustained  by  any  fair  and  consistent 
interpretation  thereof,  but  we  utterly  abhor  and  repudiate  them. 

This  amendment  at  the  following  annual  meeting 
was  not  made,  but  the  Synod 

Resolved,  That  we  are  so  well  satisfied  with  our  present  con- 
fessional basis,  corresponding  with  that  of  the  General  Synod, 
that  we  deem  it  inexpedient  to  change  the  same  by  the  adop- 
tion of  the  amendment  proposed  at  the  last  meeting  of  Synod. 

Thus  terminated  this  agitation  concerning  the  doc- 
trinal basis  of  the  Synod,  which  had  continued  during 
four  consecutive  annual  meetings.  And  nothing 
further  was  entertained  on  this  subject  until  at  the 
twenty-first  meeting,  in  1864,  the  Synod  was  requested 
to  express  a  decision  concerning  the  changing  of  the 
Constitution  of  the  General  Synod,  so  as  to  read  "  a 


DOCTRINAL  BASIS.  21 

correct  exhibition  of  the  fundamental  doctrines," 
etc. 

In  answer  to  this  request,  it  was  recommended  that 
the  change'  be  made.  Since  then  there  has  been 
nothing  more  on  this  matter,  and  the  Miami  Synod 
stands,  as  it  has  from  the  first  sought  to  stand,  on  the 
doctrinal  basis  of  the  General  Synod. 

An  account  of  the  application  and  reception  of 
Rev.  Joel  Swartz  as  a  member  of  this  Synod  is  here 
given,  as  it  will  illustrate  the  doctrinal  position  of  the 
Synod  and  its  relation  to  the  Joint  Synod  of  Ohio,  to 
which  reference  is  made  in  the  following  chapter  : 

In  1859  Rev.  Joel  Swartz  applied  for  membership. 
He  had  been  deposed  from  the  ministry  by  the  Eng- 
lish District  of  the  Joint  Synod  of  Ohio  upon  the  fol- 
lowing charges : 

1.  That  both  in  his  teaching  and  practice  he  had  violated  the 
obligations  he  assumed  as  a  member  of  this  Synod. 

2.  That  he  had  departed,  both  in  teaching  and  practice,  from 
the  doctrines  of  the  Lutheran  church. 

3.  That  he  had  shown  a  decided  preference  for  association 
with  sectarian  errorists  to  that  with  his  own  brethren;  and, 

4.  That  he  had  attempted  to  pervert  the  congregation  in  Cir- 
cleville,  which  he  now  serves  under  the  authority  of  the  Synod. 

The  application  was  submitted  to  a  committee,  who 
reported  that 

Having  heard  of  no  charges  of  immorality  preferred  against 
him  from  any  source,  and  being  fully  persuaded  of  his  Christian 
integrity,  and  having  at  the  same  time  received  from  him  his 
signature  to  the  following,  viz.,  "  I  hereby  heartily  acknowledge 
my  full  persuasion  of  the  truthfulness  of  the  Doctrinal  Basis  of 


22  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Synod  of  Miami,  adopted  at  its  meet- 
ing in  Tippecanoe  in  1858,"  we  therefore  recommend  the  appli- 
cation of  Bro.  Swartz  to  the  favorable  consideration  of  the 
Ministerium.  W.  H.  HARRISON, 

M.  DlEHI., 

T.  DRAKE. 

The  report  of  the  committee  was  received,  and  an 
entire  half  day  was  spent  in  the  investigation  of  the 
case,  after  which  the  following  action  was  taken  : 

WHEREAS,  After  a  careful  and  thorough  examination  of  the 
grounds  upon  which  the  charges  preferred  against  Rev.  Joel 
Swartz  by  the  English  District  of  the  Joint  Ohio  Synod  were 
based,  we  have  become  fully  convinced  that  in  his  teachings  he 
has  merely  rejected  the  following  errors : 

1.  The  approval  of  the  Ceremonies  of  the  Mass. 

2.  Auricular  Confession  and  Absolution. 

3.  The  denial  of  the  divine  obligation  of  the  Christian  Sab- 
bath. 

4.  Baptismal  Regeneration,  that  is,  that  Baptism  is  necessarily 
connected  with,  or  attended  by,  an  internal  spiritual  change,  ex 
opere  operate,  or  from  the  mere  outward  performance  of  the 
act. 

5.  The  gross  and  material  presence  of  the  body  and  blood  of 
Christ  in  the  Lord's  Supper. 

And  that  holding  fast  to  the  fundamental  Doctrines  of  the 
Word  of  God,  as  taught  in  the  Augsburg  Confession,  he  has 
done  nothing  more  than  establish  Prayer  Meetings,  hold  Pro- 
tracted Meetings,  take  part  in  Union  Meetings,  and  exchange 
pulpits  with  other  Evangelical  Ministers;  and, 

Whereas,  We  are  satisfied  by  the  testimony  of  his  congrega- 
tion, and  that  of  other  reliable  witnesses,  that  the  Rev.  Joel 
Swartz  has  been  proven  guilty  of  no  act  derogatory  to  him, 
either  as  a  Christian  man  or  an  Evangelical  Lutheran  Minister; 
and, 


A  DIFFICULT  WORK.  23 

Whereas,  He  is  prepared  to  subscribe  the  Doctrinal  Basis  and 
conform  his  practices  to  those  prevalent  in  this  Synod ;  therefore, 

Resolved,  That  we  regard  his  deposition  from  the  ministry  as 
unjustifiable  and  unwarranted  by  the  facts  in  the  case,  and  hereby 
unanimously  receive  him,  according  to  his  request,  as  a  member 
of  this  Synod. 

If  the  pastors  and  people  of  the  Joint  Synod  of 
Ohio  did  hold  and  teach  the  above  things  enumerated 
as  errors,  then  all  is  clear ;  but  if  they  did  not,  then 
very  grave  responsibility  rests  somewhere  for  the  false 
impression  abroad  among  the  churches,  abusing  the 
minds  of  both  the  laity  and  the  ministry. 

A  DIFFICULT  WORK. 

The  Muskingum,  Sciota  and  Miami  valleys  offered 
rare  agricultural  and  commercial  advantages  to  enter- 
prising pioneers ;  and  people  came  to  these  regions 
not  to  make  churches  but  fortunes.  They  came,  not 
in  communities  to  locate  as  colonists  and  establish 
the  school  or  religion  or  peculiarities  of  a  mother 
country ;  they  came  as  individual  adventurers,  and 
located  where  they  saw  their  best  opportunities. 
They  were  a  mixed  community,  collected  together 
from  all  parts  of  this  and  other  countries.  They  were 
not  without  early  religious  education,  and  not  without 
religious  opinions.  Consequently,  the  first  great  diffi- 
culty that  confronted  the  preachers  in  the  new  Synod 
was  in  the  condition  of  the  people.  They  were  scat- 
tered, living  at  long  distances  from  each  other.  In 
their  eagerness  to  make  homes  and  get  gain  in  the 
new  country,  they  had  become  worldly  and  exceed- 


24  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

ingly  indifferent  to  religious  matters,  and  more  than 
all,  they  differed  in  their  religious  opinions  and  preju- 
dices, in  all  the  ways  that  people  ever  differ  on  this 
subject.  Hence,  for  any  denomination  to  establish  a 
successful  church  required  the  bringing  together  peo- 
ple of  different  religious  views,  and  harmonizing  them 
upon  the  fundamentals  of  the  gospel  of  Christ.  In 
this  difficult  work  there  has  been  encouraging  success 
among  the  Christian  denominations  in  this  part  of 
Ohio.  Many  prosperous  and  influential  churches  are 
working  harmoniously,  though  composed  of  people 
who  once  were  supposed  to  differ  greatly  in  their  re- 
ligious education. 

Our  fathers  saw  the  importance  of  gathering  in 
this  mixed  population,  and  without  hesitation  they 
preached  the  gospel  to  all,  extended  the  hand  of 
Christian  fellowship  to  all  who  would  come.  The  re- 
sult is  that  our  present  membership  contains  a  large 
number  of  grand  Christian  people  whose  ancestors 
did  not  belong  to  the  Lutheran  Church.  Our  Church 
was  then  misrepresented  and  misunderstood,  now  its 
principles  are  better  known  and  it  bids  fair  to  become 
a  most  popular  Church — the  Church  for  the  masses. 
This  result  has  been  obtained,  not  by  sacrificing  the 
denominationalism  of  the  Church — no,  not  in  that 
way,  for  all  the  recorded  utterances  of  the  fathers,  and 
those  who  followed  them,  show  that  they  conscien- 
tiously built  upon  the  Lutheran  foundation  contained 
in  distinctly"  Lutheran  creeds.  Yet  in  non-essentials 
they  were  themselves  modified  by  the  peculiarities  of 


A  DIFFICULT  WORK.  25 

the  people  whom  they  sought  to  so  modify  as  to  make 
of  them  harmonious  and  consistent  Lutheran  church 
members.  And  they  rejoiced  in  this,  that  they  were 
not  bound  to  minor  details  of  external  service  and 
methods,  but  only  by  pure  doctrine  and  the  Christian 
ordinances  rightly  administered. 

Our  fathers  felt  that  their  special  work  was  for  the 
scattered  Lutherans  who,  here  and  there,  with  their 
German  Reformed  cousins  and  married  relations, 
could  be  found  in  sufficient  numbers  to  form  the 
nucleus  of  a  congregation.  But  among  these  they 
found  scarcely  less  religious  diversity  than  among  the 
mixed  multitudes,  for  they  came  from  churches  dif- 
fering greatly  in  opinions  and  practices  concerning 
Christian  living,  and  scriptural  and  useful  methods  of 
church  work. 

The  most  disheartening  difficulty,  however,  was  in 
the  antagonism  between  them  and  the  people  of  the 
Joint  Synod  of  Ohio.  The  Joint  Synod  pastors  and 
churches  were  content  to  sustain  a  pure  worship,  to 
have  the  ordinances  rightly  administered,  the  doc- 
trines of  the  church  faithfully  preached,  and  the  young 
carefully  instructed  in  these  doctrines.  The  Miami 
Synod  pastors  and  churches,  whilst  they  were  equally 
devoted  to  these  essential  things,  were  not  satisfied 
with  the  moral  and  religious  life  of  the  Church  as 
such.  To  them  it  seemed  that  a  dead  formality  pre- 
vented the  pure  Word  of  God  from  producing  the  per- 
sonal devotion  necessary  to  religious  usefulness  among 
men,  and  final  acceptance  with  God  in  the  day  of 


2 6  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

judgment.  They  felt  that  a  reformation  was  needed, 
and  to  bring  this  about  they  called  the  members  to- 
gether in  meetings  for  prayer,  and  encouraged  the 
laity  to  take  part  with  the  pastor  in  leading  the  con- 
gregation in  prayer.  They  also  held  daily  meetings 
for  prayers  and  the  preaching  of  the  word.  And 
thus  by  the  use  of  measures,  called  revival  measures, 
they  sought  to  increase  the  spirituality  of  the  Church 
and  lead  the  membership  to  an  active  discharge  of  all 
Christian  duties,  and  bring  about  the  conversion  of 
the  openly  wicked. 

The  pastors  of  the  Miami  Synod  were  mostly  in 
hearty  sympathy  with  the  so-called  "  new  measures." 
And  when  they  entered  upon  their  work,  in  their  new 
field  of  labor,  they  found,  in  most  places,  churches 
and  pastors  who  were  in  sympathy  with  the  idea  that 
no  change  in  the  worship  and  work  of  the  Church 
was  desired.  They  adhered  to  the  old  order,  some- 
times called  "old  measures,"  and  resisted  the  intro- 
duction of  meetings  which  seemed  to  them  unscrip- 
tural  and  sometimes  disorderly.  But  the  Miami 
Synod  pastors  maintained  that  under  the  old  order 
there  was  only  cold  orthodoxy  and  mere  forms  of  re- 
ligion. To  them  it  seemed  that  there  was  religious 
deadness,  endangering  the  salvation  of  the  people  and 
hindering  the  coming  of  the  kingdom  of  God  among 
men.  They  urged  that  whilst  the  forms  of  religion 
were  properly  observed,  still  the  practical  duties  of 
the  self-denying  Christian  living  were  too  much  neg- 
lected. They  preached  that  true  faith  must  work 


A  DIFFICULT  WORK.  27 

active  penitence,  conversion  and  sanctification — holy 
living  before  God  and  man.  They  insisted  that  be- 
lievers must  show  their  faith  by  their  works,  and  that 
these  works  must  be  distinctively  Christian.  They 
deemed  it  necessary  that  the  believers  should  recog- 
nize the  working  of  saving  grace  in  their  inner  life, 
and  thereby  know  themselves  to  have  a  religious  ex- 
perience accompanied  by  moral  purity,  chastity  and 
righteousness  in  the  outer  life.  They  held  that  these 
things  had  not  been  sufficiently  attained  by  the  ob- 
servance of  only  the  stated  worship  and  the  ordinary 
means  of  grace,  and  insisted  that  the  people  should 
come  together  frequently  for  prayer,  religious  conver- 
sation and  the  preaching  of  the  Word,  especially  that 
which  inculcates  the  practical  and  experimental  part 
of  our  religious  life.  These  things  gave  offence  to 
the  pastors  and  people  of  the  old  churches,  and 
brought  on  active  antagonism.  The  more  conserva- 
tive element,  in  the  Miami  Synod,  strove  to  avoid 
this,  and  sought  to  conciliate  the  extremists,  and 
adopt  a  medium  course.  In  some  places  in  a  measure 
they  succeeded,  but  in  many  places  there  was  much 
agitation,  leading  to  separation.  Church  was  built 
over  against  church,  and  the  parties  refused  to  recog- 
nize each  other  as  Christians,  much  less  as  true 
Lutherans.  All  this  greatly  increased  the  difficulty  of 
the  work.  It  weakened  the  organizations,  and  created 
bitterness  and  strife  among  people  who  should  have 
been  co- helpers. 

It  is  not  the  province  of  the  mere  historian  to  dis- 


28  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

cuss  the  responsibility  of  this  antagonism  and  these 
divisions.  It  would,  at  any  rate,  be  hard  to  fix  the 
responsibility.  Good  men  on  both  sides  were  equally 
sincere  in  contending  for  what  they  deemed  the-right. 
Civilization  has,  at  times,  made  its  best  advances  by 
those  great  wars  which  break  up  old  forms  of  tyranny 
and  oppression.  So  also  Christianity  has  made  its 
most  rapid  strides  by  agitation.  The  Head  of  His 
Church  does  at  times  suffer  His  people  to  draw  the 
sword  of  strife  for  a  while,  that  there  may  be  the  more 
intelligent  and  permanent  peace  afterwards.  And  it 
may  be  that  the  meeting  of  the  two  parties  in  the 
above-described  manner  was  to  save  the  Church  from 
being  lost,  on  the  one  hand,  in  dead  formality,  and, 
on  the  other,  in  mere  sentimentality  and  wild  fanati- 
cism. It  is  quite  manifest  to-day  that  whilst  the  par- 
ties are  perhaps  as  unwilling  to  unite  as  they  ever 
were,  they  are  both  modified.  The  one  is  quickened 
into  greater  activity,  and  the  other  has  become  more 
churchly  in  its  measures,  and  better  acquainted  with 
and  more  devotedly  attached  to  the  Lutheran  Church 
as  such. 

At  least  the  founders  of  the  Miami  Synod  could 
not  refuse  to  enter  the  field  of  labor  to  which  they 
were  brought.  It  was  a  large  field,  in  which  there  were 
great  opportunities.  It  was  an  open  field,  although 
many  Lutheran  churches  had  existed  a  long  time. 
They  were  under  the  necessity  of  doing  their  work 
according  to  their  conscientious  convictions  of  what 
was  for  the  salvation  of  men  and  the  glory  of  God. 


DENOMINATIONAL  CO-OPERATION. 


29 


They  yearned  to  see  their  beloved  Lutheran  Zion  in 
the  forefront,  among  the  active  workers  in  the  great 
harvest  field,  and,  consequently,  were  ready  to  adopt 
the  most  active  measures.  With  Christian  courage, 
trusting  in  the  help  and  the  divine  guidance  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  they  prosecuted  the  work  amidst  difficul- 
ties and  discouragement. 

The  existence  of  the  Miami  Synod  was  a  necessity 
growing  out  of  the  revival  of  religion  which  existed  in 
all  the  Protestant  churches  in  Europe  and  America 
during  the  early  and  middle  part  of  this  century.  The 
Lutheran  Church  participated  in  the  revival,  and  her 
people  coming  from  revival  churches  in  the  East  into 
this  country  needed  and  demanded  a  ministry  and  a 
worship  that  would  meet  their  spiritual  necessities. 

DENOMINATIONAL    (JOMITY    AND    CO-OPERATION    IN  MORAL 
REFORM. 

The  fraternal  spirit  of  the  Miami  Synod  has  always 
been  apparent  from  its  teachings  and  practices.  It 
has  cheerfully  fraternized  with  the  Christian  people 
of  sister  denominations'.  It  has  always  invited  visit- 
ing pastors  from  other  churches  to  sit  in  its  Sy nodical 
sessions  as  advisory  members,  with  the  right  to  speak 
on  all  matters  under  discussion.  It  has  occupied  the 
pulpits  of  the  churches  of  the  community  in  which 
its  meetings  were  held,  whenever  invited  to  do  so. 
It  has  always  invited  the  members  of  Evangelical 
churches  to  the  communion.  It  has  encouraged  co- 
operation in  all  matters  conducive  to  public  morals 


3o  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

and  correct  public  sentiment.  It  has  been  the  special 
advocate  of  Temperance  and  Sabbath  observance,  not 
only  passing  frequent  resolutions,  and  reiterating 
1  them,  but  urging  the  pastors  to  preach  frequently  on 
these  subjects ;  and  they  have  not  only  preached,  but 
have  enforced  discipline  against  those  who  offended 
in  these  things. 

The  following  action,  taken  in  1845,  will  clearly  de- 
fine the  views  which  have  been  held  and  taught  dur- 
ing the  entire  history  of  this  Synod,  on  the  question 
of  Sunday  observance  : 

Resolved,  I.  That  as  the  Lord's  day  is  an  institution  of  di- 
vine appointment,  and  is  of  universal  and  perpetual  obligation, 
and  as  the  observance  of  it  is  essential  to  the  highest  social, 
civil  and  religious  interests  of  man,  we  hereby  recommend  to 
ministers  of  the  gospel  in  our  connection,  to  preach  on  this  sub- 
ject at  least  one  sermon  annually,  to  point  out  the  benefits  that 
will  result  from  the  observance,  and  the  evils  which,  by  the  laws 
that  God  has  established,  and  that  no  man  can  evade,  will  fol- 
low the  violation  of  that  sacred  day. 

Resolved,  2.  That  it  be  recommended  to  all  heads  of  fami- 
lies, to  take  their  children  and  youth  regularly  and  constantly 
to  the  house  of  God  on  the  Lord's  day,  and  to  supply  themselves 
with  some  one  of  the  works  published  on  the  subject,  to  use 
them  in  imparting  to  all  under  their  care  a  correct  knowledge 
of  the  great  Bible  doctrines  of  the  divine  appointment,  perpet- 
ual obligation,  and  rich  and  lasting  benefits  of  the  Lord's  day. 

Resolved,  3.  That  it  be  recommended  to  all,  and  especially 
to  all  professors  of  religion,  to  give  to  the  observance  of  the 
Lord's  day,  both  at  home  and  abroad,  the  sanction  of  a  uniform 
and  constant  example,  and  that  we  as  ministers  of  the  gospel 
will  sanction  the  same  by  our  own  example. 


DENOMINATIONAL  CO-OPERATION.  31 

At  the  Synodical  meeting  in  1884,  the  following 
resolutions  were  adopted  : 

Resolved,  That  we  reiterate  our  former  utterances  on  Temper- 
ance and  Sabbath  observance. 

Resolved,  That  each  pastor  of  this  Synod  be  requested  to  read 
from  his  pulpit  or  pulpits,  at  public  service  on  the  1st  Sunday  in 
January,  1885,  the  resolutions  on  these  subjects  adopted  at  the 
last  meeting  of  Synod. 

The  following  are  the  resolutions  referred  to  : 

WHEREAS,  Intemperance  is  one  of  the  gigantic  evils  of  this 
day,  destroying  its  tens  of  thousands,  having  its  victims  in  even 
some  of  our  Christian  families,  being  a  devourer  of  joy,  peace 
and  happiness  in  the  home,  community  and  nation,  making 
moral  havoc  wherever  its  contaminating  influence  reaches, 
seeking  to  undermine  the  foundations  of  society,  church  and 
state — in  short,  being  an  indescribably  blighting  curse;  There 
fore, 

Resolved,  That  we  as  ministers  of  the  Gospel  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  and  lay  members  of  the  Miami  Synod,  do  hereby 
express  our  unqualified  disapprobation  of  the  use  of  all  intoxi- 
cating drinks  as  a  beverage. 

Resolved,  That  we  will  use  all  proper  means,  especially  those 
within  the  scope  of  ministerial  functions,  to  abate  and  if  pos- 
sible destroy  this  monster  evil  of  intemperance. 

Resolved,  That  we  favor  legislation,  political  agitation,  the  bal- 
lot, and  every  other  proper  and  legitimate  means  looking  to  the 
overthrow  of  this  blighting  curse. 

WHEREAS,  Sabbath  desecration  is  steadily  on  the  increase, 
manifesting  itself  in  almost  every  sphere  of  life,  especially  under 
the  defiant  influence  of  large  monopolies  and  the  operations  of 
drinking  saloons,  and  in  many  other  ways;  therefore, 

Resolved,  That  we,  as  Christian  ministers  and  lay  delegates, 
repeat  our  often-reiterated  convictions  that  the  Sabbath  day  is 


32  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

to  be  kept  holy  unto  the  Lord;  that  it  is  a  sacred  day,  and 
should  be  sacredly  observed. 

Resolved,  That  we  will,  by  the  grace  of  God,  continue  in  the 
future,  as  in  the  past,  to  keep  this  most  important  matter  before 
our  people,  and  urge  upon  the  parents  of  the  children  in  our 
churches  to  train  them  faithfully  in  this  important  duty. 

The  broad  liberality  of  the  Synod  on  all  correct 
methods  for  promoting  intelligent  Christianity  is  fully 
expressed  by  the  following  resolution,  adopted  at  the 
sixth  convention  in  Dayton,  Ohio  : 

"  Resolved,  That  we,  as  a  Synod,  express  our  deep  interest  in 
the  advancement  of  the  Temperance  reformation;  that  we  have 
full  confidence  in  the  American  Bible  Society,  the  American 
Tract  Society,  the  American  Sunday-school  Union,  and  feel 
deeply  anxious  that  their  benevolent  designs  should  be  pro- 
moted; and  we  commend  these  useful  institutions  to  the  liberal 
patronage  of  our  people." 

The  columns  of  the  parochial  table  will  show  that 
the  people  have  contributed  to  these  objects.  This 
fraternal  spirit  of  co-operation  with  all  Christian  peo- 
ple to  promote  public  morals  has  been  maintained 
through  all  the  years,  and  is  still  a  distinguishing  fea- 
ture of  the  Synod,  and  this,  too,  without  the  sacrifice 
of  anything  in  its  doctrinal  basis. 

SYNODICAL   BOUNDARIES. 

When  the  Miami  Synod  was  organized  the  pastors 
held  their  synodical  membership  by  " elective  affinity" 
rather  than  by  geographical  boundaries.  Conse- 
quently the  members  of  this  Synod  served  churches 
at  Canton,  Ohio,  in  and  near  Mt.  Vernon,  at  Grand- 


SYNODICAL  BOUNDARIES. 


33 


ville,  Upper  Sandusky,  Bellefontaine,  in  Auglaize 
county,  in  the  Wabash  Valley,  and  in  Hardin  county, 
Missouri.  And  pastors  removing  to  places  very  re- 
mote did  not  immediately  take  letters,  but  reported 
to  this  Synod.  Southern  Indiana,  Northern  Ken- 
tucky, and  Southern  Ohio  were  regarded  as  the  special 
territory  of  this  Synod  until,  at  the  organization  of  the 
Olive  Branch  Synod,  in  1848,  all  Southern  Indiana 
was  ceded  to  that  Synod.  The  English  Synod  had 
become  the  East  Ohio ;  the  Wittenberg  and  North 
Indiana  Synods  were  organized.  These  all  united 
with  the  General  Synod,  and  co-operated  in  support- 
ing Wittenberg  College.  In  order  that  there  might 
be  harmony  and  system  in  the  general  work,  as  well 
as  good  understanding  between  the  sister  Synods,  it 
seemed  important  to  have  well  defined  boundaries. 
And  yet,  as  late  as  1847,  a  committee  to  define  a 
boundary  for  the  Miami  Synod  reported  "  that  it  was 
very  difficult  to  do  this  satisfactorily  to  all  parties, 
and,  as  the  Constitution  of  the  General  Synod  gave 
no  specific  regulations,  they  recommended  that  the 
whole  question  be  indefinitely  postponed." 

Some  of  the  founders  were  opposed  to  boundaries. 
They  thought  the  Synod  should  be  made  a  protest 
against  the  extremes  of  old  and  new  measures,  and 
that  all  the  pastors  of  Ohio  and  adjacent  States  who 
preferred  this  medium  course  should  be  united  in  one 
Synod.  Two  years  later,  however,  in  1849,  ^  was 
resolved  that  the  Synod  of  Miami  be  bounded  on  the 
north  by  the  National  Road  ;  on  the  east  by  the  Mus- 


34 


HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 


kingum  river ;  on  the  south  by  the  Ohio  river,  and  on 
the  west  by  the  State  line.  These  boundaries  were 
adopted  with  the  under-standing  that  members  living 
beyond  these  limits  be  permitted  to  retain  their  con- 
nection with  us  until  they  find  it  convenient  to  unite 
with  another  body.  Because  of  this  permission,  Ur- 
bana  and  all  the  churches  directly  west  and  south  of 
this  point,  as  far  as  the  State  line,  remained  with  the 
Miami,  though  north  of  the  National  Road.  Because 
of  the  relation  of  Wittenbefrg  College  to  the  Synods, 
the  churches  in  Springfield  are  permitted  to  elect  their 
synodical  connection. 

PASTORAL  CHARGES. 

It  is  not  proposed  to  give  the  changes  which  are  of 
such  frequent  occurrence  in  the  charges,  but  it  will 
indicate  the  extent  of  the  field  of  labor  to  give  the 
charges  as  they  were  arranged  by  the  action  of  Synod 
in  1852.  They  were  made  to  consist  of: 

i  st.  The  English  Lutheran  Church  of  Cincinnati, 
zd.  Hopeful  Church,  Ky.  3d.  Rossville  and  Darr- 
town.  4th.  Millville  and  Fairview.  5th.  The  Day- 
ton church.  6th.  Liberty,  New  Lebanon,  David's, 
Schaeffer's  and  Germantown.  yth.  Lewisburg,  Wolf 
Creek,  Prymount  and  Hagerstown.  8th.  Greenville 
pastorate,  pth.  Tippecanoe,  Casstown,  Bethel  and 
Stillwater.  loth.  Knoxville  pastorate,  nth.  Urbana, 
St.  Paris,  Zircles  and  Halfway  House.  i2th.  Mt. 
Zion  pastorate.  I3th.  South  Charleston,  London, 
ind  Cedarville.  i4th.  Tarlton,  Adelphia  and  Mt. 


PASTORAL  CHARGES.  '35 

Union,  isth.  Zeigler's,  Baugher's,  Hamburg  and 
Mt.  Zion.  1 6th.  The  Lancaster  church.  lyth.  Zanes- 
ville  and  Salt  Creek.  i8th.  Logan  pastorate,  igth. 
Dodsonville,  Danville  and  Friedens.  2oth.  Arn- 
heim,  Georgetown,  Maysville,  Ky.,  and  Ripley.  2ist. 
Hanging  Rock  pastorate.  22 d.  Xenia,  Beaver,  Mt. 
Zion  and  Union.  23d.  Fairfield,  Aley's,  Yellow 
Springs  and  Crofts.  24th.  Ridgeville  pastorate.  25th. 
Piqua  and  Troy. 

From  time  to  time  efforts  have  been  made,  with 
varying  success,  to  establish  churches  in  places  not 
then  occupied.  Columbus  and  Chillicothe  were  vis- 
ited in  the  early  history  of  the  Synod.  Rev.  C. 
Reiinensnyder  was  at  Chillicothe  a  short  time  with 
his  father,  who  was  pastor  of  a  German  church,  but 
not  in  connection  with  a  Synod.  Union  City,  Ind., 
was  at  one  time  a  promising  field.  The  Logan  charge 
received  for  several  years  considerable  attention. 


HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 


1 

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1857.. 
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1859  •• 

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1866.  . 
1867.. 
1868.. 
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1871.. 
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1877.. 
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1879.. 
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1881.. 
1882'.. 
1883.. 
1884. 
1885.. 
1886.. 
1887.. 
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1889.. 
1890.. 
1891.. 
1892.. 
1893.. 

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33,  14° 
54  220 
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42  248 
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4653  0° 
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3000  12 

12300  oo 
14995  oo 
5748  oo 
1210  34 
3460  oo 
15406  oo 
20076  65 
14355  oo 
9395  So 

7OI5  35 
12037  °5 

9685  oo 
8087  oo 
11814  9° 
23166  19 

23014  50 
18018  31 
25466  09 
25402  19 

28193  35 

23109  74 
28209  oo 
26252  39 
27777  05 
27468  oo 
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319  2166 
313  2272 
265  1805 

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430  2939 
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279  1861 
351  2770 
332  2564 
430  3280 
356  2714 
377  2875 

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624  4349 
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165 
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124 
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136 

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163 

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185 
214 
169 
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89  2552 
95  3272 
99  2908 
95  3621 

122  3398 

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82  3064 

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$199500  oo 
239000  oo 
260700  oo 
257100  oo 
292425  oo 
282100  oo 
328850  oo 
378000  oo 

2340  78 
1845  86 

1764  15 
2243  oo 
2284  18 
3507  41 
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4159  97 
3251  54 

PAROCHIAL  TABU:. 


37 


"Si 

0 

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Missions. 

Foreign 
Missions. 

Church 
Extension. 

Board  of 
Education. 

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Wittenberg 
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External 
Objects. 

$5099 
30  51 
29  32 

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23  92 
26  55 
26  oo 
49  15 
49  i? 

56  02 

44  40 
56  20 
53  85 
48  25 
63  50 
61  50 
42  38 
46  28 
62  75 
132  05 
86  18 
95  87 

101  39 

85  40 

60  55 
77  70 
72  92 
49  76 

7°  J3 
70  58 
81  oo 
99  4i 

137  °8 

92  02 

109  94 
180  35 

124  12 
158  60 
149  04 
2O2  85 

178  75 
275  94 

$1925 
54  47 
13  75 

-  28  oo 

36  87 

168  93 

*39  74 
177  26 
167  30 
1  66  59 
126  09 
167  06 
180  ii 
5i  65 
174  41 

65  75 
61  87 
104  oo 
87  30 

432  00 

450  08 
568  50 

290  82 

1273  30 

336  39 
654  25 
610  34 

525  43 

572  65 
438  93 
586  65 
467  oo 

958  03 

775  oi 
690  43 
628  92 

1387  13 
1084  70 
1099  oo 
1096  38 
923  72 
999  80 

$55  94 
33  25 

idi  =;8 

$72  oo 

126  25 
138  30 
47  93 
30  oo 

$1097  50 
622  40 
772  79 
818  05 
1367  ii 

I  120  IO 
1221  50 

1401  47 

924  50 

444  75 
ii57  5° 

2IIO  87 

1297  66 
1589  40 
4026  oo 

1510  40 
2537  00 

3853  oo 
1912  31 
1480  47 
93°  85 

992  41 
643  55 
3450  20 

1959  50 

5723  96 
959  oo 
1152  90 
821  ii 
2950  91 
3281  87 
1482  03 
1567  66 
7527  89 



$1500 

29  12 
222  46 
163  07 
I76  70 

158  55 
147  65 
105  36 
118  16 

2OI  SO 
128  60 
147  19 

186  48 
18  oo 
77  oo 
197  49 
488  40 
195  oo 
337  50 

176  25 

937  31 

220  25 
344  60 
346  45 
203  10 

4i9  35 
318  43 
536  60 

685  60 

S32  27 
495  58 
510  02 
1325  58 
1125  96 

77i  74 
1032  47 
960  31 
949  08 

210  50 



$738  12 

i?1  50  <  

282  03 
453  oo 

8  18 

23  50 

476  50 
423  10 

339  °° 
309  oo 

279  oo 

239  is 

31542  oo 
5610  oo 
960  oo 

340  78  

128  37 

7854  53 

2826  50 
191  32 
152  46 
142  oo 

IS"  83 

1073  75 
360  86 
453  21 

548  44 

357  65 
427  32 
2129  41 
883  42 
799  72 
1142  08 

1222  41 
2340  80 
348l  50 



575  38 
1024  53 

523  5° 
701  95 

657  64 
555  Si 

266  oo 
347  0° 
54°  7° 
395  42 

252  64 

420  79 
350  79 
666  24 
1278  57 
r372  43 
1236  53 
1314  72 
1521  32 
1405  Si 

$3640 

12  OO 

16  10 
8  75 
5  oo 

17  5° 

16  06 

21  OO 

20  80 
18  oo 

22  90 
12  10 

20  33 
28  87 
23  52 
119  60 

133  95 
114  64 
171  75 

$1132 

13  12 

8  oo 

5  oo 

18  57 
15  60 
40  46 
49  75 

26  oo 

8  50 
20  ii 
14  oo 
ioo  68 
196  15 
"6  53 
95  16 
164  24 
154  73 

230  50 

9°  52 
1800  65 

1759  39 
259  87 
ii  oo 

$2300 

37  oo 
25  oo 

6  oo 

2  00 

7  oo 

51  20 

69  oo 

28  20 

39  40 
63  45 
53  41 
45  16 
64  83 
91  90 
64  57 
56  85 



5  oo 

$7498 
214  27 
288  49 
254  60 
i?2  32 
168  56 

38  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

PAROCHIAL  TABLE. 

Moral  forces  which  have  their  ultimate  end  in  the 
conversion  and  salvation  of  men,  can  not  be  given  in 
figures.  Spiritual  power  in  the  kingdom  which  is  not 
of  this  world,  can  not  be  estimated  by  census  tables. 
The  results  reach  far  above  and  beyond  the  measure- 
ments by  which  we  determine  the  quantity  and  value 
of  material  things.  And  yet,  we  have  no  better  way 
of  indicating  the  degree  of  activity  and  success  of  the 
workers  in  this  spiritual  realm,  than  to  show  the  num- 
ber of  persons  and  dollars  engaged  in  the  work.  In 
proportion  as  these  are  many  or  few,  will  the  religious 
consequences  be  thought  of  as  great  or  small.  It  will 
not  be  forgotten,  however,  that  often  apparently  small 
results  have  required  very  great  labor. 

The  foregoing  table  will  indicate  more  quickly  and 
clearly  what  has  been  done  by  our  Synod  than  could 
be  set  forth  in  many  pages  of  verbal  statement.  To 
the  thoughtful  reader  it  will  show  many  things.  It 
gives  a  general  view  of  results,  and  shows  the  difficulty 
of  systemizing  a  work  of  this  kind.  To  attain  suc- 
cess there  must  be  a  constant  adapting  of  plans  to  the 
immediate  wants  and  to  the  present  conditions  of 
men  and  things.  Consequently,  the  columns  of  the 
tables  in  the  annual  minutes  have  been  changed  from 
time  to  time,  in  order  to  give  the  results  of  the  va- 
rious objects  for  which  the  Synod  was,  at  the  time, 
working.  It  may  have  been  done,  sometimes,  merely 
to  meet  the  views  of  members  of  Synod  who  were 
more  interested  in  one  object  than  another. 


PAROCHIAL  TABLE. 


39 


Since  the  General  Synod  has  required  uniformity 
there  is  more  apparent  system,  but  it  is  often  at  the 
sacrifice  of  a  true  report  of  all  the  work  done.  The 
table  here  given  does  not  show  the  work  of  the 
Women's  Society,  though  that  is  of  great  importance 
and  so  closely  connected  with  the  Synod  that  the 
whole  history  cannot  be  given  until  the  women  write 
the  history  of  their  own  work.  In  this  table  many 
columns  are  omitted  which  are  often  found  in  the 
annual  tables,  and  matters  are  sometimes  grouped 
together ;  as,  in  "  external  objects "  are  included 
General  Benevolence,  Bible  distribution  and  other 
objects.  Also,  all  the  collections  taken  for  the 
African  Mission  up  to  the  time  that  it  passed  into  the 
control  of  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  are  in- 
cluded in  "external  objects."  The  blanks  do  not  signify 
that  nothing  was  done.  Often  much  was  done,  and 
there  was,  at  the  time,  no  column  in  which  to  report 
it.  In  some  of  the  Synod's  minutes  the  whole 
parochial  table  is  omitted.  It  would  be  exceedingly 
difficult,  if  at  all  possible,  to  give  an  accurate  table 
now.  In  some  years  the  total  contributions  to  all 
objects  averaged  $7.80  per  member.  This  table  will 
show  that  our  Lutheran  people  are  liberal,  after  all 
that  is  sometimes  said  so  disparagingly. 

For  many  years  systematic  beneficence  was  sought 
and  urged  at  almost  every  meeting  of  Synod.  Var- 
ious devices  and  expedients  for  raising  money  were 
proposed  and  tried.  The  plans  we  now  have  grew 
out  of  fifty  years  of  experience,  and  are  approved  be- 


40  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

cause  nothing  better  has  been  found.  The  accumu- 
lated wisdom  that  comes  from  half  a  century's 
experience  is  an  inheritance  that  ought  not  to  be 
lightly  esteemed,  and  these  coining  to  the  work  now, 
will  do  well  to  make  themselves  sure  that  they  have 
found  something  better,  before  they  abandon  these 
that  are  yielding  good  results  and  will  yield  better  as 
they  are  worked  more  vigorously.  The  results  thus 
far  obtained  will  show  that  the  efforts  made  were 
abundantly  rewarded.  Our  people  have  responded 
most  nobly.  If  they  are  to  be  known  by  their  fruits, 
then  surely  the  wonderful  increase  of  church  property 
and  of  annual  contributions  to  the  various  objects 
seeking  aid,  will  cause  them  to  be  very  favorably 
known.  There  are  perhaps  no  people  in  this  country 
doing  more,  in  proportion  to  their  means,  for  the 
Christian  cause  than  the  Lutheran  people.  The  fact 
must  be  recognized  that  they  are  becoming  wealthy, 
but  they  are  not  yet  the  wealthy  people.  But  their 
physical  and  intellectual  vigor,  expended  in  ceaseless 
industry  and  economy,  is  fast  making  them  the 
owners  of  the  farms  and  factories  of  this  country. 
And  with  their  increasing  liberality  the  future  will 
show  grand  results  in  church  work. 

In  connection  with  this  parochial  table  it  is  proper 
to  note  that,  from  time  to  time,  different  members 
gave  much  time  and  labor  to  the  work  of  systemizing 
the  work  of  the  Synod.  Among  these  may  be  men- 
tioned especially  Rev.  J.  C.  Zimmerman,  of  blessed 
memory,  who  made  the  classification  of  reports  from 


CONFERENCE  REPORTS.  41 

the  charges  and  the  various  ways  of  obtaining  funds  a 
special  study,  also  J.  W.  Kahler,  Esq.,  who  has  been 
the  faithful  and  efficient  treasurer  for  thirteen  years. 
Prior  to  his  administration,  the  objects  supported  by 
the  Synod  were  not  many,  and  the  amount  of  money 
passing  through  the  treasury  comparatively  small. 
Consequently  the  necessity  of  correct  bookkeeping 
was  not  so  imperative,  and  faithful  men  discharged 
the  duties  of  the  treasurer's  office  satisfactorily.  But 
there  came  a  time  when  more  system  was  required, 
and  the  present  incumbent  was  called  to  the  office, 
who  gave  correct  and  admirable  system  to  this  de- 
partment of  the  work,  and  from  his  own  devotion  to 
the  Christian  cause,  has  continued  to  labor  persist- 
ently to  educate  the  pastors  and  others  to  the  knowl- 
edge of  correct  and  prompt  transfer  of  money  from 
the  congregations  through  the  Synodical  Treasurer  to 
the  various  Boards  of  the  Church. 

CONFERENCE  DISTRICTS. 

That  the  whole  territory  of  the  Synod  might  be 
reached  with  systematic  work,  it  was,  at  the  third 
meeting,  divided  into  five  Conference  districts:  ist. 
Cincinnati,  2nd.  Lancaster,  3rd.  Dayton,  4th.  Spring- 
field, and  5th.  Wabash  Conferences.  The  meetings 
were  not  then  held  for  the  discussion  of  theological 
questions,  but  to  preach  the  Word  and  consult  con- 
cerning the  places  at  which  they  might  establish 
preaching  services. 

At  the  sixth  meeting,  in    1849,   tne  Conferences 


42  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

were  urged  to  hold  their  meetings  more  regularly, 
and  endeavor  to  discover  all  vacancies  which  existed 
in  the  bounds  of  Synod,  and  report  the  same  to  the 
Home  Missionary  Society,  together  with  the  names  of 
such  ministers  as  would  be  willing  and  suitable  per- 
sons to  supply  them.  The  territory  was  re-districted 
and  made  to  consist,  ist,  of  Cincinnati,  with  Revs. 
Harrison,  Surface,  Guiney  and  Anthes.  zd,  Xenia, 
Revs.  Ritz,  Hovvbert,  Helwig,  Oliver  and  Diehl.  3d, 
Lancaster,  Revs.  Rizer,  Weddell,  Reck,  Link  and 
Lehman.  4th,  Dayton,  Revs.  Rosenmiller,  Locker, 
Barnett,  Bittle  and  Kukerman. 

The  work  assigned  to  these  Conferences  was  at- 
tended with  much  difficulty,  and  another  year's  ex- 
perience showed  the  impracticability  of  so  many  dis- 
tricts;  and  at  the  next  meeting,  in  1850,  the  whole 
territory  was  divided  into  the  Eastern  and  Western 
Conferences.  Some  years  later  the  semi-annual 
meetings  were  abandoned  and  the  whole  Synod 
united  in  one  Conference  to  be  held  annually. 
Under  this  arrangement  these  meetings  have  steadily 
grown  in  interest  and  importance,  until  at  the  forty- 
ninth  meeting  of  Synod  it  was  reported  that  the  Con- 
ference was  held  in  Vandalia,  O.,  on  the  i  yth  of  May, 
1892,  and  that  the  attendance  was  unusually  large, 
all  the  exercises  were  of  high  order  and  characterized 
by  deep  spirituality. 

Following  this  report  it  was,  on  motion  ordered 
that  the  President  appoint  as  a  committee,  Revs.  C. 
W.  Sifferd,  J.  Borns  and  H.  M.  Lentz  to  report  a  plan 


RELATION  TO  WITTENBERG  COLLEGE. 


43 


for  the  division  of  Synod  into  two  Conferences.  The 
report  of  [this  committee,  in  1893,  was  adopted  and 
the  division  made  accordingly. 

THE  SYNOD'S  RELATION  TO  WITTENBERG  COLLEGE. 

Prof.  Ezra  Keller  opened  a  school  at  Wooster, 
Ohio,  but  in  the  summer  of  1844,  at  a  meeting  of  the 
English  Synod  of  Ohio  held  at  that  place,  it  was  de- 
cided to  locate  the  contemplated  college  at  some 
place  more  central  in  the  state.  At  that  same  meet- 
ing the  new  Synod,  which  soon  after  became  the 
Miami,  was  first  spoken  of.  Thus  the  college  and 
the  Synod  came  to  Southern  Ohio  about  the  same 
time,  and  they  have  been  mutual  helpers  through  all 
the  years.  They  were  years  of  weakness  and  struggle, 
incident  to  the  founding  of  enterprises  undertaken  for 
the  intellectual  and  spiritual  elevation  of  mankind. 
At  the  first  meeting  of  the  new  Synod  action  was 
taken  approving  of  the  establishing  of  the  College. 
Revs.  D.  P.  Rosenmiller  and  Geo.  Sill,  and  Messrs. 
P.  Baker  and  F.  Gebhart  were  elected  to  represent 
the  Synod  in  the  Board  of  College  Directors. 

The  following  year  these  representatives  reported 
that  only  one  meeting  of  the  Board  had  been  held. 
The  meeting  held  its  sessions  in  both  Springfield  and 
Xenia,  in  the  month  of  February,  1845,  arjd  the  Col- 
lege was  located  at  Springfield  with  great  unanimity. 
They  were  much  encouraged  with  the  enterprise,  and 
commended  it  to  the  efficient  support  of  the  Synod, 
and  also  recommended  that  it  be  brought  fully  to 


44 


HISTORY  Of  MIAMI  SYNOD. 


the  notice  of  the  people.  In  a  series  of  resolutions 
the  location  at  Springfield  was  approved  by  the  Synod, 
the  agents  of  the  Board  were  invited  into  the  churches 
of  the  Synod,  and  the  members  of  the  Board  were 
required  to  report  annually.  An  election  was  had 
for  directors  for  the  ensuing  year,  which  resulted  in 
the  choice  of  Revs.  D.  P.  Rosenmiller  and  Geo.  Sill, 
and  Messrs.  F.  Gebhart  and  G.  B.  Lafong.  These 
reported  at  the  next,  the  third  meeting  of  Synod,  that 
Prof.  Reynolds  of  Gettysburg  was  elected  President 
of  the  College,  and  Prof.  E.  Keller  was  re-appointed 
to  .the  Theological  department.  A  classical  school 
had  been  successfully  conducted  by  Prof.  E.  Keller, 
assisted  by  two  teachers.  Twelve  students  were  pre- 
paring for  the  ministry.  A  building  40  by  48  feet 
and  four  stories  high  had  been  partly  built. 

At  this  meeting  of  Synod,  it  was  urged  that  Prof. 
Keller,  who  had  been  laboring  without  fixed  compen- 
sation, should  have  some  specific  sum  fixed  as  his 
salary. 

It  was  also  resolved  that  the  term  of  service  of 
directors  be  four  years,  and  Rev.  D.  P.  Rosenmiller 
and  Mr.  F.  Gebhart  were  elected  for  four  years,  and 
Rev.  W.  H.  Harrison  and  Mr.  J.  N.  Kurtz,  for  two 
years. 

These  directors  reported  at  the  next  annual  meet- 
ing, that  the  salary  of  the  President  was  fixed  at 
$400.00  per  annum,  and  that  of  Profs.  Diehl  and 
Geiger  at  $300.00  each,  and  that  these  men  would  be 
regularly  installed  at  the  next  meeting  of  the  Board. 


RELATION  TO  WITTENBERG  COLLEGE. 


45 


It  was  also  recommended  that  each  pastoral  charge 
collect  during  the  year  $5  to  aid  in  supporting  the 
President.  The  Synod  also  defined  the  preparatory 
studies  they  would  require  of  students  before  they 
commenced  the  regular  course  in  Theology. 

In  1849  the  list  of  directors  was  Revs.  D.  P. 
Rosenmiller,  G.  Sill,  A.  J.  Weddell,  W.  H.  Harrison, 
and  Messrs.  F.  Gebhart,  H.  Kraft,  J.  D.  Lutz  and  A. 
Eppley. 

Since  then,  vacancies  in  the  Board  have  been  filled 
by  electing  each  year,  as  follows  :  In  1850,  Rev.  S. 
Ritz  ;  1851,  Rev.  P.  Rizer  and  Messrs.  W.  F.  Moeller 
and  Jacob  Horner  ;  1852,  Revs.  A.  Bartholomew  and 
A.  Bosserman  and  Messrs.  P.  Baker  and  J.  McRey- 
nolds ;  1853,  Rev.  W.  H.  Harrison  and  Messrs.  J.  D. 
Martin  and  T.  A.  Heim  ;  1854,  Rev.  A.  J.  Imhoff; 

1855,  Rev.  A.  Bartholomew  and  Mr.  J.  McReynolds ; 

1856,  Rev.  J.  F.  Reinmund  and    Dr.  O.   Ballard; 
1858,  Revs.  A.  Helwig  and  W.  C.  Barnett  and  Mr.  D. 
H.  Knoop  ;  1859,  Rev.  A.  Kleffeker  and  Mr.  J.  Mc- 
Reynolds;  1860,  Rev.    W.  C.    Barnett  and   Mr.   F. 
Rammelsburg ;   1861,  Rev.  W.  H.  Harrison  and  J.  D. 
Martin,  Esq. ;   1862,  Revs.  T.  Hill  and  G.  B.  Ort  and 
Mr.  D.  H.  Knoop  ;  1864,  Rev.  G.  B.  Ort  and  Mr.  A. 
Erkenbrecher ;   i°65,  Rev.  W.  H.  Harrison  and  J.  B. 
Martin,  Esq. ;   1866,  Rev.  L.  A.  Gotwald,  and  Mr.  D. 
H.  Knoop;   1867,  Rev.  J.  B.  Hehvig  and  Mr.  Simon 
Gebhart ;  1868,  Revs.  G.  B.  Ort,  J.  J.  Welch  and  W. 
C.  Hauer  and  Mr.  A.  Erkenbrecher;   1869,  Rev.  J. 
F.  Shaffer   and   J.   D.  Martin,  Esq. ;  1870,  Rev.  I. 


46  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

Magee  and  Mr.  D.  H.  Knoop ;  1871,  Revs.  G.  W. 
Halderman  and  J.  B.  Helwig  and  Mr.  Josiah  Geb- 
hart; 1872,  Revs.  G.  W.  Halderman  and  J.  C.  Brod- 
fiihrer  and  Messrs.  A.  Erkenbrecher  and  Mr.  A.  Geb- 
hart ;  1873,  Revs-  J-  F-  Shaffer  and  J.  J.  Welch  and  J. 
D.  Martin,  Esq. ;  1874,  Rev.  D.  Summers  and  A.  Geb- 
hart  and  Rev.  W.  C.  Hauer ;  1875,  Rev.  T.  T. 
Everett  and  Mr.  Josiah  Gebhart ;  1876,  Rev.  G.  W. 
Halderman  and  Mr.  A.  Erkenbrecher;  1877,  Revs.  J. 
F.  Shaffer,  E.  Miller  and  G.  W.  Stalling  and  J.  D.  Mar- 
tin, Esq. ;  1878,  Rev.  W.  C.  Barnett  and  Mr.  A.  Geb- 
hart ;  1879,  Rev.  J.  F.  Shaffer  and  Mr.  Josiah  Gebhart ; 

1880,  Rev.   G.  M.  Grau  and  Mr.  H.  J.  Reinmund ; 

1881,  Revs.  H.  W.  McKnight  and  A.  J.  Imhoff  and 
Mr.  J.  W.  Kahler;  1882,  Rev.  A.  J.  Imhoff  and  Mr. 
Alexander  Gebhart;  1883,  Revs.  J.  H.  Barclay  and 
J.  F.  Shaffer  and  Mr.  Josiah  Gebhart;  1884,  Revs.  J. 
M.  Ruthrauff  and  J.  H.  Barclay  and  Mr.  Geo.  Smith ; 
1885,  Revs.  J.  W.  Swick  and  Mr.  J.  W.  Kahler  ;  1886, 
Rev.  A.  J.  Imhoff  and  Mr.  A.  Gebhart;    1887,  Rev. 
J.  F.  Shaffer  and  Mr.  J.  Gebhart;  1888,  Rev.  E.  K. 

Bell  and  Louis  Manss  ;  1889 ;  1890,  Rev.  A.  J. 

Imhoft  and  Mr.  A.  Gebhart ;  1891,  Revs.  J.  F.  Shaffer 
and  E.  E.  Baker  and  Mr.  J.  Gebhart;  1892,  Rev.  E. 
K.  Bell  and  Mr.  Louis  Manss. 

These  delegates  reported  to  Synod,  annually,  mat- 
ters of  the  greatest  importance,  which  cannot  be  given 
in  this  brief  history.  Their  place  is  properly  in  a  his- 
tory of  the  College.  To  establish  the  College  has, 
however,  always  been  a  part  of  the  Synod's  work,  es- 


RELATION  TO  WITTENBERG  COLLEGE. 


47 


pecially  to  secure  its  endowment.  At  a  meeting  in 
Lancaster,  in  1865,  the  following  action,  in  substance, 
was  taken  : 

WHEREAS,  The  permanent  and  speedy  endowment  of  Wit- 
tenberg College  is  the  one  great  work  of  the  Lutheran  Church 
in  the  West;  and 

Whereas,  We  do  rejoice  in  the  success  of  the  College  agents 
in  their  labors  to  secure  the  proposed  sum  of  one  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars  for  endowment  purposes;  therefore, 

Resolved,  That  we  will  renew  our  efforts  to  aid  them  to  com 
plete  the  great  endowment  enterprise. 

In  1873,  at  a  meeting  of  the  delegates  from  Ohio 
and  Indiana  to  the  General  Synod,  in  Canton,  Ohio, 
it  was  stated  that  the  endowment  had  reached  prac- 
tically $85,000,  and  the  Synods  of  these  two  states, 
supporting  the  College,  were  asked,  through  these 
delegates,  to  assume  the  remaining  $15,000,  so  as  to 
make  the  entire  endowment  available,  because  some 
of  the  subscription  was  conditioned  upon  the  entire 
$100,000  being  raised.  The  delegates  from  this 
Synod  pledged  that  the  interest  on  $4,000  should  be 
paid  until  the  full  amount  be  secured,  or  until  the 
$4,000  be  raised  on  the  territory  of  the  Synod.  This 
action  of  the  delegates  to  the  General  Synod  at  Can- 
ton was  endorsed  at  the  next  meeting  of  this  Synod, 
and  explains  what  is  the  interest  on  endowment 
found  in  parochial  tables.  . 

BENEFICIARY    EDUCATION. 

The  demand  for  trained  ministers  has  been  great 


48  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

during  the  entire  history  of  this  Synod,  and  much  at- 
tention has  been  given  to  the  education  of  approved 
men  for  the  ministerial  office.  The  constitution  pro- 
vided that  a  committee  of  three  pastors  and  two  lay- 
men be  annually  appointed  to  transact  business  ap- 
pertaining to  Beneficiary  Education,  according  to  the 
principles  of  the  Parent  Education  Society  of  the 
General  Synod.  It  also  provided  that  there  be,  an- 
nually, a  public  meeting  addressed  by  speakers  pre- 
viously appointed,  to  awaken  interest  and  collect 
funds  for  this  purpose,  and  that  the  pastors  be  re- 
quested to  specify  a  certain  sum  which  they  will  en- 
deavor to  collect  during  the  ensuing  year.  These 
provisions  of  the  constitution,  according  to  such 
changes  as  have  been  made  from  time  to  time,  have 
been  carefully  observed.  At  almost  every  meeting 
special  efforts  have  been  made  to  obtain  money  for 
this  purpose.  Pastors  and  congregations  have  been 
constantly  urged  to  look  out  suitable  men  and  solicit 
them  to  make  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  their  life 
work. 

At  the  second  convention  of  the  Synod  an  Educa- 
tional Committee  was  elected  by  ballot  and  consisted 
of  Revs.  Schaeffer,  Keller  and  Reck,  and  Messrs. 
Kurtz  and  Lafong.  And  the  pledges  of  the  pastors,  at 
this  meeting,  footed  up  $95.00.  Until  the  apportion- 
ment plan  was  adopted^  these  pledges  were  always 
taken,  because  the  work  was  so  important  that  no  un- 
certainty could  be  allowed. 

The  following  persons  have  been  supported  some- 


BENEFICIARY  EDUCATION. 


49 


what  during  their  preparation  for  the  gospel  ministry  : 
J.  Geiger,  W.  C.  Barnett,  A.  F.  Hills,  J.  B.  Butler,  P. 
S.  Harrison,  S.  P.  Fink,  T.  Borns,  E.  R.  Guiney,  J.  W. 
Goodlin,  G.  W.  Stelling. 

At  the  eighth  convention  of  the  Synod,  in  1851,  the 
allowance  per  year  to  each  beneficiary  was  advanced 
from  $50  to  $70,  and  the  treasurer  was  directed  to 
put  the  moneys,  for  this  object,  into  the  hands  of  the 
Faculty  of  Wittenberg  College.  It  was  also 

Resolved,  That  the  pastors  make  more  effort  to  persuade 
young  men  of  talent  and  piety  to  prepare  for  the  gospel  ministry, 
and  make  the  utmost  efforts  to  collect  funds  for  their  support. 

The  students  received  on  the  funds,  in  1853,  were 
L.  A.  Gotwald,  J.  H.  W.  Stuckenberg  and  J.  C.  Brod- 
fuhrer.  At  that  time  there  was  a  surplus  in  the 
treasury  of  $171.23.  In  1854,  F.  W.  Viehe,  D.  W. 
Kissell ;  in  1856,  M.  W.  Hamma  ;  and  in  1858,  John 
Brant,  Henry  Belmer,  Herman  Eagleman  and  Louis 
Kepperling,  received  aid. 

At  the  sixteenth  convention,  in  1856,  it  was  ordered 
that  the  treasurer  of  this  fund  report  to  the  Synod 
the  Christian  standing  and  educational  progress  of  all 
those  receiving  aid,  and  that  applicants  for  aid  be  re- 
ceived during  the  interim  of  synodical  conventions, 
and,  also  that  they  be  required  to  give  legal  obliga- 
tions for  all  moneys  received.  During  the  past  year 
$595.27  had  been  paid  to  aid  those  preparing  for  the 
ministry. 

In  1860,  Henry  Wolf  and  H.  Daron  were  received 


5° 


HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 


on  the  funds.  And,  at  this  time,  a  certificate  of  seven 
years'  scholarship  in  Wittenberg  College,  secured  by 
donation  from  J.  Zimmerman,  of  Kentucky,  was  placed 
in  the  hands  of  the  treasurer  to  be  used  in  aid  of 
beneficiary  students. 

In  1864,  there  was  a  balance  in  the  treasury  of 
$757.40.  The  Synod  ordered  that  the  Chairman  of 
the  Educational  Committee  report  annually  in  writ- 
ing, and  that  applications  for  aid  be  made  directly  to 
the  committee,  who  should  determine  the  amount  to 
be  given  each  student.  It  was  fixed  at  $150.00  and 
tuition.  In  1865,  E.  W.  Souders,  A.  J.  Hesson,  A. 
and  M.  Weiles,  A.  W.  Wagnalls,  J.  Miller  and  D. 
Rylled,  and  in  1868,  —  Thomas,  J.  B.  Miller,  D.  L. 
Ryder  and  F.  A.  Matthis,  were  received  on  the  funds. 
The  Synod,  at  this  time,  required  that,  hereafter,  the 
students  receiving  aid  attend  its  meetings,  and,  also, 
provided  that  their  traveling  expenses  be  paid. 

In  1870,0.  M.  Grau  and  A.  J.  Crigler  were  re- 
ceived on  the  funds.  In  1871,  the  Synod  appropri- 
ated $175.00  per  year  to  each  student,  and  authorized 
the  treasurer  to  borrow  money  if  necessary.  In  1872 
the  Synod  had  but  one  beneficiary.  The  Dayton 
church  had  on  its  own  funds  three,  whose  names  are 
not  given.  The  Educational  Committee  had  a  small 
balance  in  its  treasury. 

In  1873  Henry  Howett,  J.  D.  Hauer  and  D.  M. 
Homer  were  received,  and  the  Treasurer  again  au- 
thorized to  borrow  money  if  needed. 

In  1874  Elias  Hubler  was  received,  and  Prof.  J.  H. 


BENEFICIARY  EDUCATION. 


51 


W.  Stuckenberg  was  allowed  to  pay,  as  he  might  feel 
able,  the  money  he  had  received  as  a  beneficiary,  to 
such  students  preparing  for  the  ministry  as  he  deemed 
worthy,  and  take  receipts  in  the  name  of  the  Synod. 

In  1877  there  was  a  balance  in  treasury  of  $200.69, 
but  the  demand  for  aid  was  very  great,  and  the  allow- 
ance was  reduced  to  $125.00  per  year. 

In  1879,  C.  E.  Wirick,  in  1881  M.  L.  Walker,  and 
in  1882  William  Hull,  were  received  on  the  funds. 

In  1883  the  committee  asked  that  $250  be  appor- 
tioned among  the  churches  for,  this  cause,  and  in 
1884  they  requested  of  the  Synod  that  aid  be  provided 
for  eleven  young  men.  Five  of  these  were  from  Cin- 
cinnati. As  they  did  not  venture  to  ask  for  more 
than  $250.00  on  apportionment,  the  problem  before 
the  Synod  was,  How  can  these  men  be  provided  for? 
The  members  of  Synod  felt  that  the  time  had  come 
to  do  something  liberal.  J.  W.  Kahler,  realizing  the 
responsibilities  of  the  hour,  at  once  pledged  the  Cin- 
cinnati Sunday-school  for  $125.00,  and  more  if  neces- 
sary, for  the  five  applicants  from  Cincinnati.  Others 
promptly  responded,  and  $327.00  were  pledged  by  the 
Synod  ;  this,  with  $250.00  apportioned  to  the  congre- 
gations, $125.00  pledged  by  Cincinnati  Sunday-school 
and  $300.53  balance  in  Treasury,  made  a  grand  total 
of  $1,002.53  with  which  to  meet  the  demand.  Thus 
the  call  of  Providence^  and  the  ready  answer  to  the 
call,  gave  a  new  and  grand  impetus  to  Beneficiary 
Education. 

In  1885  W.  G.  Smith,  W.  H.  Mills,  J.  K.  Bruchie, 


5  2  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

E.  T.  Clayton,  E.  E.  Baker  were  received,  and  the 
balance  in  the  treasury  was  $454.36.  In  1886  F.  S. 
Delo,  H.  B.  Shank,  Adolph  Ridder  and  W.  F, 
Berger  were  received  on  the  funds  of  the  Synod. 
C.  G.  Heckert  was  on  the  funds  of  the  Dayton  Sunday- 
school,  and  one  other  was  supported  by  the  Cin- 
cinnati Sunday-school.  The  Synod  apportioned  to 
the  congregations  $400.00  for  the  current  year.  In 
1887  Ezra  Keller,  Albert  Becker,  D.  H.  Rohrabaugh, 
S.  T.  Himes  were  received.  It  was  ordered  that 
hereafter  no  one^be  received  until  he  has  been  at 
college  one  year.  The  Synod  apportioned  $700.00  for 
the  year.  The  receipts  from  all  sources  for  the  past 
year  were  $1,169.48.  In  1888  Geo.  C.  Emming, 
Axel  Henritzy,  Walter  Adams  and  Ernest  Bell  were 
received.  The  expenses  during  the  past  year  were 
$1,172.00,  and  it  was  ordered  that  $700.0.0  be  appor- 
tioned for  the  current  year.  In  1889  C.  W.  Anshuts, 
W.  F.  Barnett,  E.  E.  Bell  and  T.  A.  Estell  were  received, 
and  the  Dayton  Sunday-school  aided  O.  Felker,  G. 
W.  Getter,  H.  W.  Gwinner  and  C.  G.  Heckert. 
During  the  past  year  $1,197.00  had  been  expended  by 
the  Synod  and  there  was  a  deficit  of  $450.76.  Special 
pledges  were  taken  to  the  amount  of  $370.00,  and  the 
apportionment  raised  to  $800.00.  In  1890  W.  C.  Eck- 
ert,  Victor  S.  Mumma,  C.  Rice,  C.  V.  Steininger  were 
received.  During  the  year  $1,415.00  were  expended, 
and  there  was  a  balance  in  the  treasury  of  $56.66. 
Special  pledges  were  taken  amounting  to  $460.00,  and 
the  apportionment  continued  at  $800.00.  In  1891  G. 


BENEFICIARY  EDUCATION. 


53 


S.  Murphy,  W.  E.  Bartholomew,  C.  E.  Derr,  M.  O. 
Felker,  W.  L.  Guard  and  C.  E.  Rice  were  received,  and 
the  Dayton  church  aided  seven  more.  The  Synod 
expended  $1,000.00  and  the  Dayton  church  $450.00, 
making  a  total  expenditure  during  the  year  of  $  i  ,450.00. 
Special  pledges  of  $426.00  were  made  and  the  appor- 
tionment put  at  25  cents  per  member  for  the  ensuing 
year.  In  1892  A.  E.  Ream,  A.  K.  Mumma,  G.  B. 
Weaver  and  Tera  Miller  were  received.  The  Synod 
expended  during  the  year  $950.00,  and  the  Dayton 
church  $450.00.  Special  pledges  were  made  to  the 
amount  of  $235.00,  and  the  apportionment  continued 
at  25  cents  per  member  in  the  congregations. 

In  the  above  statement  only  the  year  in  which  the 
student  was  received  on  the  funds  of  the  Synod  is 
given.  Some  of  them  continued  only  part  of  a  year, 
others  one,  two  or  more  years,  but  they  all  withdrew 
as  soon  as  they  were  enabled  to  do  so.  Most  of  them 
have  returned  the  money  loaned  them,  whilst  some 
have  paid  back  many-fold  times  the  amount  they  re- 
ceived. The  legal  obligation  which  beneficiaries  are 
required  to  give,  are  collectible  only  on  condition 
that  they  do  not  enter  the  ministry,  or  retire  from  it, 
whilst  in  ordinary  health,  to  engage  in  secular  or  other 
professional  business.  (See  minutes  of  1870.) 

No  grander  or  more  useful  work  has  ever  been 
done  by  the  Synod  than  to  assist  these  men  in  their 
preparation  for  the  gospel  ministry.  These  men, 
drawn  away  from  the  lucrative  vocations  of  secular 
life,  were  induced  by  a  sense  of  personal  responsir 


54  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

bility  before  God  and  the  Church,  to  consecrate 
themselves  to  a  work  of  sacred  service.  Some  of  the 
grandest  work  done  for  humanity  has  been  done  by 
those  of  this  number  whose  abilities  and  eminent 
labors  opened  to  them  the  wider  fields  of  usefulness. 

What  has  been  achieved  by  this  one  Synod  is  only 
a  part  of  the  aggregate  that  has  been  done  by  all  the 
Synods  of  the  General  Synod.  Truly,  great  things 
have  been  done  during  the  closing  half  of  the  nine- 
teenth century,  in  providing  for  the  Lutheran  church 
in  this  country  an  educated  ministry.  The  results  are 
beginning  to  be  manifest,  and  the  accumulating  in- 
fluence will  bring  to  the  future  blessing  and  power 
that  cannot  now  be  estimated. 

In  this  special  work  some  of  the  other  Lutheran 
bodies  in  this  country  are  especially  active.  The 
most  direct  work  for  the  speedy  evangelization  of  the 
world,  is  to  educate  for  the  ministry  men  of  talent  and 
piety.  Such  men,  especially  because  they  received  a 
litttle  aid  from  the  church,  are  conscientiously  con- 
strained to  give  themselves  wholly  to  the  preaching  of 
the  gospel  and  to  continue  in  this  work  under  all  hin- 
drances and  discouragements.  A  true  preacher 
must  preach.  He  belongs  to  this  department  of  the 
Christian  work,  and  if  he  has  no  church  and  no 
salary,  he  must  go  on  mission  work,  if  needs  be,  at 
his  own  charges.  A  true  Christian  man,  educated 
for  the  ministry,  is  a  positive  working  force  in  the 
Church.  He  feels  that  if  no  pastoral  charge  is  at 
hand  as  one  prepared  for  him  by  other  men's  labors, 


RELATIONS  TO  GENERAL  SYNOD. 


55 


he  must  go  into  the  wide  field  and  make  or  prepare 
one  for  himself. 

RELATIONS  TO  GENERAL  SYNOD. 

The  Miami  Synod  at  its  first  session  adopted  the 
following  : 

Resolved,  That  we  now  unite  ourselves  with  the  General 
Synod  of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church. 

It  has  always  regarded  that  body  as  the  ecclesias- 
tical head  through  which  efficiency  and.  success  has 
been  sought  in  all  local  matters,  as  well  as  in  the  gen- 
eral work  of  the  whole  church.  It  has  maintained 
loyalty  to  it  in  all  matters  of  doctrine  and  discipline. 
It  has  regularly  sent  delegates  to  its  meetings,  and 
these  have  actively  participated  in  its  proceedings 
and  faithfully  reported  them  to  this  Synod.  All  the 
measures  adopted  for  the  promotion  of  missions  and 
education  in  the  General  Synod  have  been  supported 
by  the  Miami  Synod. 

DELEGATES  TO  GENERAL  SYNOD. 

1845.  Philadelphia— Revs.  D.  P.  Rosenmiller,  C. 
F.  Schaeffer,  Mr.  F.  Gebhart. 

1848.  New  York— Revs.  D.  M.  Hoyt,  W.  H.  Har- 
rison, A.  H.  Myres,  Dr.  O.  Ballard,  J.  D.  Martin, 
Esq.,  Mr.  F.  Gebhart. 

1850.  Charleston,  S.  C. — Revs.  D.  P.  Rosenmiller, 
M.  Diehl,  Messrs.  F.  Gebhart,  J.  D.  Martin,  Esq. 

1853.     Winchester,  Va.— Revs.  P.  Rizer,  M.  Diehl, 


56  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

W.  H.  Harrison,  Messrs.  J.  D.  Martin,  J.  W.  Geb- 
hart,  F.  Rammelsberger. 

1855.  Dayton,  O.— Revs.  M.  Diehl,  W.  H.  Har- 
rison, A.  Reck,  Messrs.  A.  Gebhart,  T.  A.  Heim,  J. 
D.  Martin. 

1857.  Reading,  Pa.— Revs.  N.  B.  Little,  J.  F. 
Reinmund,  A.  Helwig,  Mr  F.  Gebhart. 

1859.  Pittsburg,  Pa.— Revs.  F.  W.  Conrad,  W.  H. 
Harrison,  W.  H.  Wynn,  C.  Stroud,  Mr.  F.  Gebhart. 

1862.  Lancaster,  Pa. — Revs.  D.  Summers,  A. 
Helwig,  J.  Schauer,  W.  H.  Harrison,  Messrs.  F.  Geb- 
hart, M.  Bowman,  B.  F.  Reinmund,  S.  Keller. 

1864.  York,  Pa.— Revs.  W.  H.  Harrison,  D. 
Steck,  M.  Diehl,  G.  B.  Ort,  Messrs.  F.  Gebhart,  A. 
Erkenbrecker. 

1866.  Fort  Wayne,  Ind. — Revs.  W.  H.  Harrison, 
M.  Diehl,  L.  A.  Gotwald,  J.  Swartz,  Messrs.  F.  W. 
Keihl,  J.  Gebhart,  B.  F.  Reinmund,  D.  H.  Bloom. 

1868.  Harrisburg,   Pa. — Revs.   J.   Swartz,   A.    J. 
Imhoff,  J.  B.  Helwig,  and  G.  B.  Ort,  Messrs.  A.  Geb- 
hart, A.  Epply,  D.  Knoop. 

1869.  Washington,  D.  C.— Revs.  J.  J.  Welch,  W. 
C.  Hauer,  Mr.  J.  Gebhart. 

1871.  Dayton,  O. — Revs.  J.  B.  Helwig,  I.  Magee, 
A.  Essick,  Messrs.  A.  M.  Spangler,  J.  McReynolds, 
M.  Stroffer. 

1873.  Canton,  O.— Revs.  J.  B.  Helwig,  H.  R. 
Geiger,  G.  W.  Halderman,  Messrs.  H.  H.  Stucken- 
berg,  A.  Gebhart,  J.  H.  Keil. 

1875.     Baltimore,  Md.— Revs.  J.  H.  W.  Stucken- 


DELEGATES  TO  GENERAL  SYNOD. 


57 


berg,  J.  F.  Shaffer,  G.  W.  Halderman,  Messrs.  J.  D. 
Martin,  A.  Gebhart,  H.  P.  Snyder. 

1 877.  Carthage,  111. — Revs.  J.  H.  W.  Stuckenberg, 
J.  F.  Shaffer,  G.  W.  Halderman,  Messrs.  A.  Spangler, 
A.  Gebhart,  H.  H.  Stuckenberg. 

1879.  Wooster,  O.— Revs.  G.  F.  Stelling,  J.  H.  W. 
Stuckenberg,  A.  J.  Imhoff,  Messrs.  A.  Spangler,  A. 
Gebhart,  H.  J.  Reinmund. 

1 88 1.  Altoona,  Pa.— Revs.  S.  A.  Ort,  J.  F.  Shaffer, 
H.  W.  McKnight,  Messrs.  A.  Gebhart,  J.  W.  Kahler. 

1883.  Springfield,  O.— Revs.  S.  A.  Ort,  J.  F. 
Shaffer,  J.  N.  Morris,  Messrs.  J.  W.  Kahler,  A.  Geb- 
hart, J.  McReynolds. 

1885.  Harrisburg,  Pa.— Revs.  S.  A.  Ort,  J.  H. 
Barclay,  J.  F.  Shaffer,  Messrs.  A.  Gebhart,  J.  W. 
Kahler. 

1887.  Omaha,  Neb.— Revs.  S.  A.  Ort,  A.  J.  Im- 
hoff, E.  K.  Bell,  Messrs.  A.  Gebhart,  J.  W.  Kahler,  J. 
H.  Hedges. 

1889.  Allegheny,  Pa.— Revs.  E.  K.  Bell,  S.  A.  Ort, 
J.  F.  Shaffer,  C.  E.  Wirick,  Messrs.  A.  W.  Ulrici,  J. 
H.  Hedges,  A.  Gebhart,  J.  D.  Martin. 

1891.  Lebanon,  Pa. — Revs.  E.  E.  Baker,  S.  A. 
Ort,  E.  K.  Bell  and  S.  E.  Greenawalt,  Messrs.  A. 
Gebhart,  Louis  Manss,  L.  E.  Miller  and  J.  D.  Martin. 

1893.  Canton,  O.— Revs.  S.  A.  Ort,  J.  A.  Hall, 
E.  K.  Bell  and  J.  F.  Shaffer,  Messrs.  D.  S.  Royer, 
Louis  Manss,  G.  W.  Hengst  and  L.  E.  Miller. 


5 8  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

CHURCH  PROPERTY  SOLD. 

In  1876,  it  was  ordered  by  the  Synod  that  aban- 
doned churches  be  sold,  and  the  proceeds  placed  at 
the  disposal  of  the  Board  of  Church  Extension  of  the 
General  Synod. 

The  Hamilton  church  was  sold  for  three  thousand 
dollars.  Fourteen  hundred  dollars  of  this  sum  went 
to  payment  of  claims  against  the  congregation.  One 
thousand  dollars  was  refunded  to  a  surviving  trustee. 
Six  hundred  dollars  was  transferred  to  the  Church 
Extension  Board. 

The  church  at  Millville  was  sold  for  six  hundred 
dollars.  Of  this  amount,  four  hundred  dollars  were 
given  towards  the  erection  of  a  Lutheran  church  at 
Darrtown,  twenty- five  dollars  were  donated  toward 
the  purchase  of  a  home  for  a  poor  Lutheran  widow  in 
Millville ;  and  several  sums  were  refunded  to  indi- 
viduals who  had  paid  toward  a  parsonage  which  was 
afterwards  disposed  of. 

The  Klefecker  church  edifice,  near  Greenville,  was 
sold  to  the  German  Reformed  denomination  for  six 
hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  and  amount  paid  to  Church 
Extension  Board. 

The  old  church  at  Liberty,  owned  by  the  Lutheran  and 
German  Reformed  congregations,  was  sold  and  the  pro- 
ceeds falling  to  the  Lutherans  put  into  the  new  church 
which  was  built  by  the  new  organization  of  Lutherans. 

The  St.  John's  Church  in  Hocking  County  was  sold 
for  seventy-five  dollars,  and  the  amount  paid  to  the 
Treasurer  of  Synod. 


CHURCH  PROPERTY  SOLD. 


59 


The  Mt.  Union  church  near  Tarlton  was  sold  to  the 
M.  E.  Church,  for  thirty-five  dollars,  and  the  money 
disposed  of  by  Synod. 

An  old  church  at  Adelphi,  in  Ross  County,  went  to 
decay,  but  the  lot  remains  the  property  of  the  Luth- 
eran church. 

ROLL   OF    MINISTERS   WHO   DIED   WHILST  IN    CONNECTION 
WITH  THIS  SYNOD. 

Rev.  D.  M.  Hoyt  died  in  1848,  at  Lafayette,  Ind. 
He  was  highly  esteemed  as  a  man  of  ability,  and  an 
ardent  advocate  of  the  doctrines  and  principles  of  the 
Lutheran  church. 

Dr.  E.  Keller  died  in  1848,  at  Springfield,  Ohio. 
He  had  transferred  his  membership  to  the  Witten- 
berg Synod,  but  because  of  his  relation  to  Wittenberg 
College,  his  death  was  noticed  by  the  adoption  of 
resolutions  expressive  of  heartfelt  sorrow. 

In  1851,  Father  Conrad  Reiman,  an  aged  and  re- 
tired Lutheran  minister  living  at  Circleville,  passed 
away  in  death.  He  had  united  with  this  Synod. 
During  this  same  year  Rev.  J.  P.  Daggy  died. 

Rev.  Alexander  Klefecker  died  February  26,  1863. 
President  Harrison  in  reporting  his  death,  says  :  "No 
one  ever  endeared  himself  to  this  Synod  more  than 
Bro.  Klefecker.  He  was  a  devout  man.  We  all  felt 
this.  He  was  in  no  way  characterized  by  formality  or 
hypocrisy." 

Rev.  J.  Surface,  one  of  the  oldest  members  of  the 
Synod,  died  1865.  Suitable  resolutions  were  adopted. 


60  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

The  death  of  Rev.  W.  H.  Harrison,  D.  D.,  oc- 
curred in  November,  1866.  Whilst  in  the  midst  of 
his  people  at  Cincinnati,  caring  for  them  in  their 
great  distress  produced  by  an  epidemic  of  cholera,  he 
himself  was  stricken  down  by  the  disease.  At  the 
meeting  of  Synod  next  after  his  death,  the  President, 
Rev.  M.  Diehl,  says :  "  Bro.  Harrison  will  mingle 
with  us  no  more  in  these  annual  meetings.  He  has 
been  one  of  us  so  long — so  active,  so  deeply  interested 
in  all  our  proceedings — so  full  of  sympathy  with  us  in 
every  good  work,  that  you  could  not  even  if  you 
would,  fail  to  call  him  to  mind  under  these  circum- 
stances. And  yet  I  can  not  do  otherwise  than  allude 
to  his  departure  from  us." 

Rev.  W.  M.  Hunderdorse,  of  Hanging  Rock,  O, 
died  in  1867. 

The  President  in  his  report  in  1869,  says  :  "  On  the 
zoth  of  April  last,  our  much  beloved  Dr.  M.  Diehl  fell 
asleep  in  Jesus,  and  on  the  i4th,  his  body,  attended 
by  a  large  concourse  of  mourning  people,  was  carried 
to  its  burial  in  Springfield  Cemetery.  And  again  on 
the  1 8th  of  May,  our  Reverend  Father  A.  Reck,  as  a 
stock  with  its  full  ear,  was  taken  by  the  Master,  to  be 
garnered  in  heaven." 

Rev.  John  Sise,  Rev.  N.  W.  Cummins  and  Rev. 
Geo.  B.  Ort,  died  in  1871.  Resolutions  of  esteem 
and  sorrow,  in  reference  to  each  of  these,  were  passed 
by  the  Synod.  The  President  in  reporting  their 
deaths  to  Synod  says :  "  They  passed  into  the 
Heavenly  Kingdom  :  Blessed  are  the  dead  which  die 


OUR  CIVIL  WAR.  6 1 

in  the  Lord  ;  Yea,  saith  the  Spirit,  that  they  may  rest 
from  their  labors ;  and  their  works  do  follow  them." 

At  the  meeting  in  1880,  the  Synod  was  called  upon 
to  record  the  death  of  Rev.  J.  L.  Gilbreath,  and  reso- 
lutions of  sympathy  and  esteem  were  adopted. 

During  the  year  preceding  the  meeting  in  1881, 
Rev.  A.  M.  Smith  and  Rev.  J.  Hinderer  departed  this 
life.  The  Synod  recorded  the  bereavement  by  the 
adoption  of  suitable  resolutions. 

Rev.  Joseph  Schmalzl  died  June  nth,  1882.  In 
recording  the  event  the  Synod 

Resolved,  That  we  recognize  in  this  sad  dispensation  of 
Providence,  the  loss  of  an  earnest  and  useful  member. 

At  the  same  meeting,  resolutions  were  passed  in 
reference  to  the  death  of  Rev.  A.  D.  Rowe,  our  first 
children's  missionary  to  India.  One  of  the  resolu- 
tions reads  thus : 

"  His  noble,  self-sacrificing  life  and  zeal  in  the  cause  of  mis- 
sions, deeply  impresses  us  with  a  sense  of  our  responsibility  to 
the  great  cause  of  Missions  for  which  he  sacrificed  his  life." 

OUR   CIVIL   WAR. 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  war  in  1861,  the  people  of 
the  Miami  Synod  showed  themselves  to  be  truly  loyal 
citizens  of  these  United  States.  They  claimed  this 
country  to  be  their  country,  and  its  government  to  be 
their  government,  and  without  hesitation,  they  ac- 
cepted their  civil  duties  and  responsibilities  as  being 
above  all  the  considerations  of  personal  life  and 
property.  When  they  met  in  Synodical  Convention 


62  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

at  St.  Paris,  only  a  few  days  after  the  attack  upon 
Fort  Sumter,  they  promptly  adopted,  unanimously  by 
a  rising  vote,  the  following  preamble  and  resolutions  : 

WHEREAS,  We  are  taught  in  the  sacred  Scriptures  that  gov- 
ernment is  an  ordinance  of  God,  and  they  who  resist  the 
legitimate  exercise  of  its  power  expose  themselves  to  condemna- 
tion; and, 

W/iereas,  We  believe  that  the  Government  of  the  United 
States  was  established  under  the  superintending  care  of  the 
Sovereign  of  the  universe,  and  embodies  the  true  principles  of 
freedom,  and  has  received  the  marked  blessings  of  heaven; 
and, 

Whereas,  Wicked  men  have,  in  violation  of  the  Divine  com- 
mand "  to  be  subject  to  the  higher  power,"  raised  the  standard 
of  insurrection  against,  and  organized  an  army  to  overthrow  it; 
and, 

IVhereas,  The  President  of  the  United  States  has  issued  his 
proclamation,  calling  upon  the  several  loyal  States  to  rally  in 
defence  of  the  integrity  of  the  Constitution,  and  the  main- 
tenance of  the  Union,  and  the  preservation  of  our  civil  and 
religious  liberties;  and, 

Whereas,  Our  Lutheran  forefathers,  both  clerical  and  lay,  not 
only  prayed,  but  fought  for  the  independence  of  America,  and 
took  a  large  share  in  the  formation  of  our  government;  there- 
fore, unanimously, 

Resolved,  That  we,  in  imitation  of  their  patriotic  example, 
and  in  admiration  of  their  valor,  declare  it  to  be  a  Christian  as 
well  as  a  civil  duty,  to  support  the  government  in  its  constitu- 
tional efforts  to  punish  treason,  and  put  down  rebellion  by  all 
the  means  within  our  power. 

Resolved,  That  we  call  upon  all  our  people,  to  lift  up  holy 
hands  in  prayer  to  the  God  of  battles,  without  personal  wrath 
against  evil-doers  on  the  one  hand,  and  without  doubting  the 
righteousness  of  the  cause  of  our  government  on  the  other;  that 
He  would  give  wisdom  to  the  President  and  all  his  counsellors, 


OUR  CIVIL  WAR.  63 

and  success  to  the  army  and  navy  in  all  their  efforts  to  save  our 
beloved  country  from  anarchy  and  lawlessness. 

Resolved,  That  we  deeply  sympathize  with  all  loyal  citizens 
and  Christian  patriots  in  the  rebellious  portions  of  our  country, 
and  we  cordially  invite  their  co-operation  in  offering  united 
supplications  at  a  throne  of  grace,  that  God  would  humble  us  as 
a  people  for  our  national  sins,  restore  peace  to  our  distracted 
country,  re-establish  fraternal  relations  between  all  the  States, 
and  make  our  land,  in  all  time  to  come,  the  asylum  of  the 
oppressed,  and  the  permanent  abode  of  liberty  and  religion. 

F.  W.  CONRAD, 

H.  BORCHARD, 

W.  H.  HARRISON. 

At  the  next  annual  meeting  in  1862,  this  is  in  the 
President's  report  and  endorsed  by  the  Synod  :  "We 
are  now  in  the  midst  of  a  bloody,  but,  on  our  part, 
holy  war.  Many  of  our  young  men,  middle-aged  and 
old  men,  are  now  on  the  battle-field  and  in  the  camps, 
exposed  to  all  the  ills  of  war,  battling  for  the  su- 
premacy of  the  laws,  and  maintenance  of  the  Con- 
stitution." 

Each  year  as  the  Synod  met,  during  the  progress 
of  the  war,  suitable  sentiments  and  resolutions  were 
recorded,  until  the  end,  when,  at  the  meeting  in  June, 
1865,  the  President,  G.  B.  Ort,  says :  "The  past  year 
has  been  an  eventful  one  in  the  history  of  our  country. 
But  God  has  been  with  us,  and  delivered  us  from  our 
calamities,  and  restored  us  to  peace  once  more. 
Many  of  our  fellow-citizens  have  fallen  in  battle,  or 
died  from  disease  and  exposure,  and  our  beloved 
Chief  Magistrate  has  been  assassinated  as  the  cul- 
minating act  of  this  wicked  rebellion." 


64  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

The  Synod  put  on  record  the  following  as  a  final 
utterance  concerning  the  war  : 

WHEREAS,  God  has  most  graciously  conducted  our  country  to 
her  present  happy  issue  out  of  the  fearful  evils  in  which  she 
was  involved  by  the  rebellion;  and 

Whereas,  God  has  most  mercifully  prevented  the  anarchy 
manifestly  purposed  by  the  fiendish  assassination  of  our  late 
beloved  President,  Abraham  Lincoln,  and  the  most  brutal  and 
murderous  assault  upon  our  Secretary  of  State;  therefore, 

Resolved,  That  we  do  now  renewedly,  as  citizens,  as  Christians, 
as  a  Synod,  affirm  our  most  hearty  sympathy  with  the  interests 
of  the  great  Union,  as  well  as  our  support  of  its  Chief  Executive, 
Andrew  Johnson,  in  whose  ability,  integrity  and  patriotism  we 
have  undivided  confidence. 

Unanimously  adopted  by  a  rising  vote. 

SYNODICAL   SABBATH-SCHOOL   CONVENTION. 

The  Sunday-school  question  has  always  received 
careful  consideration.  In  1874  the  Synod  appointed 
a  committee  to  confer  with  the  Wittenberg  Synod  on 
the  propriety  of  holding  State  Lutheran  Sunday-school 
Conventions.  In  1875  a  committee  was  appointed 
to  report,  at  the  next  annual  meeting,  on  the  propriety 
of  appointing  a  Sunday-school  missionary  and  colpor- 
teur. This  interest,  thus  indicated,  culminated  in  the 
Synodical  Sunday-school  Convention.  This  organiza- 
tion has  been  eminently  successful,  and  has  held  its 
annual  meetings  since  1876,  and  publishes  its  own 
minutes,  showing  constantly  increasing  interest  and 
efficiency. 

In  1884  the  Committee  on  Sunday-schools  reported 
an  unusual  interest  in  that  department  of  our  church 


WOMAN'S  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY.  65 

work.  They  say  that  the  enthusiasm  of  the  past  year 
culminated  this  week  in  one  of  the  most  interesting 
conventions  in  the  history  of  Miami  Synod.  They 
recommended  that  at  least  one  sermon  on  Sunday- 
school  work  be  preached  during  the  year  in  each 
congregation,  setting  forth  the  best  mode  of  teaching, 
and  such  other  matter  as  may  prove  valuable  to  teach- 
ers and  scholars. 

The  Synodical  Sunday-school  organization  is  com- 
plete in  itself,  and,  in  due  time,  will  publish  its  own 
history  for  the  benefit  of  our  general  church  work. 

WOMAN'S  SYNODICAL  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

The  Woman's  Home  and  Foreign  Missionary 
Society  is  an  independent  organization,  and  has  its 
own  history. 

The  propriety  of  organizing  such  a  society  was 
recommended  by  a  committee  at  the  session  of  the 
General  Synod  in  Carthage,  111.,  in  1877.  And  by 
action  of  the  Synod,  the  ladies  of  our  Church  were 
earnestly  appealed  to,  to  act  promptly  in  estab- 
lishing Auxiliary  Societies  in  their  congregations. 
The  ladies  of  the  Miami  Synod  responded  energet- 
ically, and  at  a  meeting  of  the  Synod  in  St.  Paris,  in 
1877,  they  secured  the  appointment  of  a  Woman's 
Home  Missionary  Society  Committee,  to  consist  of  one 
minister  as  chairman,  one  layman,  and  three  ladies. 
The  committee  was  appointed,  and  consisted  of  Rev. 
E.  Miller,  Mr.  Walter  Gebhart,  Mrs.  Mary  G.  Stucken- 
berg,  Mrs.  J.  F.  Shaffer,  Miss  Emma  L.Parry. 


66  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

They  proceeded  at  once  to  take  preliminary  steps 
for  the  organization  of  a  Synodical  Society,  to  consist 
of  Auxiliary  Societies  formed  in  the  congregations. 
The  work  of  organizing  required  much  perplexing 
labor,  but  the  executive  ability  of  the  ladies  was 
equal  to  the  work,  and  in  a  comparatively  short  time 
Societies  were  organized  in  most  of  the  congrega- 
tions, and  the  work  thoroughly  systemized.  Too 
much  praise  can  not  be  awarded  to  the  patient  and 
persistent  ladies  who  inaugurated  this  grand  work  in 
our  Synod.  The  woman's  work  is  adding  annually 
thousands  to  our  missionary  operations,  and  when 
their  history  is  written  it  will  show  marvelous  results. 


SYNODICAL  CONVENTIONS. 


67 


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HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 


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CONGREGATIONS  AND  PASTORS.  69 

CONGREGATIONS  AND  PASTORS. 

In  this  brief  history  only  some  things  can  be  given 
concerning  the  congregations. 

Circleville. — The  congregation  was  organized  about 
1840,  by  Rev.  N.  B.  Little,  an  eccentric  man  who  had  a 
remarkably  commanding  person  and  was  an  overpow- 
ering orator.  He  drew  after  him  the  people  and  soon 
gathered  a  large  membership  of  the  prominent  peo- 
ple of  the  place.  But  his  peculiarities  created  difficul- 
ties, and  after  about  two  years  his  popularity  came  to 
an  end  and  he  withdrew.  The  congregation  was  after- 
wards served  for  a  long  time  by  Rev.  J.  A.  Roof,  a 
very  good  and  popular  man,  who  belonged  to  the  Joint 
Synod.  During  the  ministry  of  Rev.  Joel  Swartz,* 
the  congregation  divided,  and  the  members  who  pre- 
ferred to  use  the  English  language  in  worship,  after  a 
long  law-suit,  retained  the  church  property  and  with 
the  pastor,  united  with  the  Miami  Synod.  During  the 
ministry  of  Rev.  M.  L.  Wilhelm,  the  old  church  was 
taken  down  and  a  new  one  built.  The  English  con- 
gregation was  never  very  large  and  became  involved 
in  debt  and  weakened  in  membership.  It  became  a 
struggling  church,  and  from  time  to  time  has  received 
missionary  aid. 

The  present  pastor,  Rev.  W.  R.  McCutcheon,  was 
installed  July  31,  1892. 

The  Somerset  church  was  organized  by  Rev.  Paul 
Henkel  in  1809.  The  Somerset  Charge  consisted  of 

*  See  an  account  of  Rev.  Swartz's  reception  into  the  Miami 
Synod  under  article  "  Doctrinal  Basis." 


70  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

several  congregations,  and  was  the  scene  of  the  early 
labors  of  the  Henkels.  The  congregations  were  large 
and  the  charge  an  important  one.  In  1848  Rev.  A. 
J.  Weddell,  of  Lancaster,  was  called  to  the  pastorship 
and  the  charge  united  with  the  Miami  Synod.  Dur- 
ing the  five  years  that  Rev.  Weddell  was  pastor,  in 
consequence  of  changes  at  Wittenberg,  following  the 
death  of  Dr.  Keller,  and  proposed  changes  at  the 
college  in  Columbus,  he  withdrew  from  the  Miami 
Synod  and  united  with  the  English  District  of  the 
Joint  Synod,  and  the  charge  followed  him,  and  has 
since  remained  in  the  Joint  Synod. 

New  Reading  and  Zion's  congregations  were  organ- 
ized by  Rev.  Geo.  Forster  in  1805.  St.  Paul,  Good 
Hope  and  Lebanon  congregations  were  organized  by 
Rev.  Andrew  Henkel  in  1820,  and  the  Grau  by 
Charles  Henkel  in  1831.  The  three  Henkels  were 
from  the  Tennessee  Synod.  The  Lutheran  people 
were  from  Bucks,  Berks,  Fayette  and  Lebanon  coun- 
ties, Pa. 

Tarlton. — This  charge  was  organized  by  Rev.  N.  B. 
Little,  after  his  removal  from  Circleville.  It  is  here  that 
on  one  occasion,  under  the  power  of  his  eloquence, 
the  whole  congregation  unconsciously  rose  to  their 
feet  and  stood  spell-bound  ;  and,  on  another  occasion, 
he  thought  he  saw  the  devil"  opposing  him,  and, 
springing  forward  with  a  chair,  began  striking  furiously 
the  table  which  he  mistook  for  the  devil. 

This  charge  was  founded  in  the  midst  of  a  large 
parish  belonging  to  the  Joint  Synod,  and  the  worship 


CONGREGATIONS  AND  PASTORS.  7  r 

was  in  striking  contrast  with  that  of  the  other  Luth- 
eran churches  of  that  region.  It  became  an  important 
charge,  and  has  enjoyed  the  services  of  some  of  the 
best  pastors  of  the  Synod.  The  first  church  was  a 
small  building  erected  by  the  community,  but  the  Lu- 
theran congregation  had  the  preference  in  its  use. 
Other  denominations  could  use  it  when  not  occupied 
by  the  Lutherans.  During  the  ministry  of  Rev.  A.  J. 
Weddell  a  neat  frame  church  was  built  in  town,  and 
a  small  church  on  the  Pickaway  planes.  This  church 
in  town  has  since  been  exchanged  for  a  larger  and 
more  modern  church,  which  was  built  by  the  German 
Reformed  congregation,  and  for  some  cause  sold.  It 
became  the  property  of  William  Ballard,  Esq.,  and  by 
him  was  donated  to  the  Lutheran  congregation,  he 
taking  in  exchange  their  old  property,  which  was  not 
of  much  value.  This  church  and  the  Conrad  church, 
four  miles  north,  constitute  a  charge,  and  are  at  pres- 
ent without  a  pastor. 

Lancaster. — As  early  as  1805,  Rev.  George  Forster 
preached  in  Fairfield  county.  The  early  labors  of 
the  two  Stecks  were  in  Lancaster  and  the  surround- 
ing country.  They  were  followed  by  Rev.  John 
Wagenhals,  of  the  Joint  Synod.  His  congregation 
was  as  old  as  any  Protestant  congregation  in  the  town, 
and  older  than  the  Catholic  church.  The  present 
Miami  Synod  congregation  was  organized  in  1841  by 
the  English  portion  of  Wagenhals'  congregation  and 
Rev.  John  McCron  became  its  pastor.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Rev.  C.  F.  Schaeffer.  The  church  was 


72  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

erected  in  1843  at  a  cost  of  $7,000.00,  and  with  im- 
provements since,  it  has  cost  about  $  10,000.00.  John 
D.  Martin,  Esq.,  belonged  to  the  board  of  trustees,  and 
is  the  only  surviving  member  of  that  date.  He  has 
been  an  efficient  officer  in  the  church  through  all  the 
years,  and  now  thinks  the  progress  of  the  Lutheran 
cause  in  Lancaster  has  been  greatly  hindered  by  the 
bitter  strife,  at  times,  among  its  people.  This  strife 
has  been  on  account  of  the  two  languages,  of  old 
and  new  measures,  and  of  Synodical  relations.  J.  D. 
Martin  was  very  prominent  among  the  founders  and 
supporters  of  Wittenberg  College.  The  Beck  and 
Reinmund  families  have  always  been  prominent 
among  the  membership.  Rev.  J.  F.  Reinmund,  D.  D., 
of  blessed  memory,  went  from  this  church  to  Witten- 
berg College,  and,  after  completing  his  course  of 
studies,  became  its  pastor. 

This  has  always  been  an  important  congregation, 
and  has  had  a  long  list  of  able  pastors.  The  present 
pastor  is  Rev.  G.  W.  Halderman,  D.  D.,  who  has  had 
a  long  and  successful  ministry  in  this  church.  He 
became  pastor  first  in  1870,  and  after  serving  nine 
years,  he  accepted  a  call  to  another  field  of  labor,  and 
after  an  absence  of  eight  years,  he  was  recalled  in 
1887,  and  has  since  been  the  efficient  minister  of  the 
gospel  to  a  considerate  and  appreciative  people. 

Dumontville  Charge. — St.  Paul's,  near  Dumont- 
ville.  The  first  church  in  this  congregation  was  built 
in  1813.  It  was  a  log  house,  two  stories  with  gallery, 
about  30  ft.  square,  and  the  work  was  done  by  the 


CONGREGATIONS  AND  PASTORS. 


73 


members.  The  second  church  was  erected  in  1864-65 
at  a  cost  of  $2,000.00.  It  was  built  on  the  Baugher 
land,  and  is  often  called  the  Baugher  church.  The 
first  pastors  were  Revs.  Klink,  Link  and  Wagenhals. 
The  Brandt,  Baugher,  Schell,  Bright,  Wagner  and 
Fisher  families  were  prominent  in  the  membership, 
and  came  originally  from  Pennsylvania. 

The  Mt.  Carmel  congregation  was  organized  in 
1860  by  Rev.  Thomas  Drake  as  pastor.  A  church 
was  erected,  for  which  Alexander  Miller  gave  a  lot 
and  most  of  the  timber. 

Christ's  Church,  near  Hamburg,  was  first  under 
the  pastoral  care  of  Rev.  C.  M.  Klink,  who  conducted 
the  services  in  a  log  school-house.  The  first  church 
was  built  in  1850.  The  Shaffer  family,  of  which  Rev. 
Dr.  Shaffer,  of  Delaware,  is  a  member,  were  active 
supporters  of  this  church.  Here  Dr.  Shaffer  attended 
church  and  Sunday-school  until  he  went  to  college. 
Family  connections  are  still  living  in  the  community 
and  belong  to  this  church.  During  the  ministry  of 
Rev.  Harshman,  a  second  house  of  worship  was 
erected.  There  have  been  frequent  changes  in  the 
pastorship  of  the  charge.  Rev.  Elias  A.  Best  is  the 
pastor  at  present. 

Zanesville,  under  the  ministry  of  Rev.  A.  Bossen- 
mann,  was  in  the  Miami  Synod,  and  had  invited  the 
Synod  to  hold  its  eleventh  convention  in  their  church. 
In  the  meantime  they  called  Rev.  Weddell,  of  Somer- 
set, to  the  pastorship,  and  the  congregation  went 
with  him  to  the  English  District  of  the  Joint  Synod, 


74 


HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 


and  has  remained  in  that  connection.  They,  how- 
ever, most  cordially  entertained  the  Miami  Synod  dur- 
ing its  meeting  in  their  church.  Rev.  Weddell  after- 
wards became  pastor  of  the  College  church  in 
Springfield,  and  united  with  the  Wittenberg  Synod. 
From  Springfield  he  removed  to  Cumberland,  Md. 

Cincinnati. — In  1841,  Rev.  Abram  Reck,  pastor  of 
a  mission  church  in  Indianapolis,  traveling  on  a  col- 
lecting tour  among  the  churches,  arrived  in  Cincinnati 
on  Saturday,  and  not  wishing  to  travel  on  the  Lord's 
Day,  spent  the  Sunday  in  the  city,  and  was  impressed 
that  he  should  move  there  and  commence  a  mission. 
He  proposed  the  matter  to  the  Synod  of  the  West,  of 
which  he  was  a  member,  and  the  Synod  immediately 
took  action  to  unite  with  the  East  Ohio  Synod,  and 
support  the  missionary  in  the  sum  of  four  hundred 
dollars  per  year.  Near  the  close  of  the  year,  the  8th 
of  December,  Rev.  Reck  was  on  the  ground  and 
found  eight  Lutheran  members  ready  to  organize,  and 
on  the  1 9th  of  the  same  month,  twenty-four  signed  an 
agreement  to  organize.  Worship  was  conducted  in  a 
rickety  place  over  an  engine  shanty,  until  the  old  hall 
of  Cincinnati  College  was  rented.  In  this  hall  the 
mission  flourished  until  the  fourth  year,  when  a  church 
was  purchased  on  Ninth  Street.  In  1850,  the  lot  on 
Elm  Street  was  purchased,  and  in  1852  the  present 
church  was  erected  under  the  administration  of  Rev. 
W.  H.  Harrison. 

The  twenty-four  charter  members  came  principally 
from  Pennsylvania  and  Maryland.  Prominent  among 


CONGREGATIONS  AND  PASTORS. 


75 


these  were,  J.  E.  Jungmann,  M.  Straeffer,  John  Myers, 
C.  Woellner,  F.  Rammelsberg,  H.  Kessler,  and  Sam- 
uel Startzmann.  This  congregation  has  always  been 
an  important  one  and  served  by  the  best  of  pastors. 
The  development  was,  however,  very  gradual,  until  of 
late  years,  here  as  elsewhere  in  our  large  cities,  there 
has  been  a  decidedly  forward  movement.  Dr.  E.  K. 
Bell  has  been  very  efficient  in  his  work,  and  most  en- 
couraging results  have  been  attained,  not  only  in  the 
old  church  but  at  the  points  in  the  city  where  pros- 
perous missions  are  now  established.  The  member- 
ship of  this  church  has  been  drawn  on  heavily  for  the 
nuclei  in  which  the  missions  started,  the  charter  mem- 
bers of  the  new  organizations  being  mostly  from  the 
old  church,  and  yet  it  has  sustained  its  numerical 
strength,  having  in  1892  three  hundred  and  fifty-nine 
members,  and  in  1893  had  an  accession  of  forty- nine. 
They  contributed,  during  the  year,  nearly  nineteen 
hundred  dollars  to  benevolent  objects.  They  cele- 
brated the  ninth  anniversary  of  the  present  pastor, 
Dr.  E.  K.  Bell,  in  October. 

This  congregation,  though  it  has  not,  in  the  past, 
been  numerically  large  among  the  city  churches,  has 
been  regarded  with  much  consideration  by  the  Evan- 
gelical churches  of  Cincinnati.  When  in  1861,  the 
Evangelical  Ministerial  Association  of  Cincinnati  ap- 
pointed a  Committee  to  report  a  Union  Doctrinal  Basis, 
Dr.  Harrison  was  on  the  Committee  and  was  made 
its  Secretary;  and  when  in  1863,  the  Committee  h'ad 
completed  their  work  and  the  entire  Basis  was  unani- 


76  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

mously  adopted  by  thirty-five  ministers,  members  of 
the  Association,  who  were  present,  Dr.  Harrison  was 
continued  as  Secretary  of  the  completed  organization. 
And  now  in  1893,  Dr.  Bell  has  been  re-elected  Presi- 
dent of  the  Evangelical  Alliance  of  Cincinnati. 

The  Dayton  C/iurch\va.s  organized  in  1839  by  Rev. 
Reuben  Weiser.  The  first  regular  pastor  was  David 
Porter  Rosenmiller.  The  leading  laymen  were  Fred- 
erick Gebhart,  Peter  Baker,  Mrs.  Stintz,  and  Martin 
Smith.  They  came  from  Pennsylvania. 

The  first  house  of  worship  was  erected  in  1840. 
Bro.  F.  Gebhart  narrated  to  a  company  of  brethren, 
in  one  of  his  visits  to  Wittenberg  College,  that  whilst 
superintending  the  digging  of  the  foundation  for  this 
house,  his  neighbors  wanted  to  know  what  he  in- 
tended to  build ;  and  when  told  that  it  would  be  a 
Lutheran  church,  they  were  much  surprised  :  and 
some  of  the  more  curious  inquired,  "What  is  a  Luth- 
eran church?"  Since  then  the  Lutheran  has  not 
been  one  of  the  unknown  and  unheard  of  churches 
in  Dayton.  That  house  was  built  and  dedicated,  and 
the  congregation  worshiping  in  it  at  once  became 
prominent  and  was  a  leading  church  in  the  community. 

In  1851,  Rev.  D.  P.  Rosenmiller  retired  from  the 
pastorship  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  P.  Rizer.  The 
first  church  building  of  1 840  gave  place  to  the  pres- 
ent stateby  edifice,  which  was  dedicated  [an.  13,  1861, 
under  the  administration  of  Rev.  F.  W.  Conrad,  who 
became  pastor  in  1856.  The  Dayton  church  has  al- 
ways been  a  large  and  prosperous  congregation.  In 


CONGREGATIONS  AND  PASTORS. 


77 


1869  and  1870,  a  most  remarkable  religious  interest 
manifested  itself  in  their  midst.  The  pastor,  Rev. 
Irving  Magee,  in  connection  with  his  parochial  report, 
says  :  "  The  Master  has  vouchsafed  to  us  a  most  gra- 
cious and  wonderful  outpouring  of  his  Holy  Spirit ; 
such  exhibitions  of  Divine  power  and  blessing  as 
neither  the  pastor  nor  his  people  have  ever  before 
witnessed.  As  the  result  of  the  gracious  influence, 
two  hundred  and  thirty- eight  souls  have  been  added 
to  the  church,  ranging  in  age  from  62  to  9.  In  con- 
sequence of  this  large  accession,  our  church  has  be- 
come over-crowded,  and  the  Church  Council  has  di- 
rected a  hundred  more  sittings  to  be  placed  in  the 
church.  In  addition  10  the  usual  collection  for  Ben- 
eficiary Education,  our  church  is  at  present  support- 
ing three  students  at  Wittenberg  College,  and  we  hope 
in  the  course  of  three  months  to  be  able  to  take 
another."  This  supporting  of  their  own  beneficiaries 
at  College,  besides  contributing  liberally  each  year  to 
the  Synodical  fund  for  the  education  of  young  men 
for  the  ministry,  has  been  continued  to  the  present. 

The  Dayton  church  has  been  distinguished  for  lib- 
eral giving,  contributing  annually  to  all  the  objects 
supported  by  the  Miami  Synod,  besides,  from  time  to 
time,  making  large  donations  to  the  various  enter- 
prises of  our  general  church  work.  Some  of  its 
members  have  given,  at  sundry  times,  thousands  of 
dollars  to  the  building  and  to  the  endowment  fund  of 
Wittenberg  College. 

A  second  church  has  been  organized   in  Dayton, 


78  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

and  will  be  self-sustaining  from  the  beginning ;  that 
is,  will  be  sustained  by  the  Lutheran  people  of  Day- 
ton without  the  aid  of  the  Church  Boards.  Rev.  E. 
E.  Baker  is  pastor  in  the  old  church. 

Boone  County  Charge. — About  the  year  1805  a 
colony  of  ten  members  came  from  Madison  county, 
Va.,  to  Boone  county,  Ky.  They  immediately  es- 
tablished regular  worship  and  continued  it  for  eight 
years  without  a  pastor.  One  of  their  own  number 
each  Sunday  read  a  sermon,  and  they  waited  and 
prayed  for  a  pastor.  In  1806  they  organized  the 
Hopeful  church.  In  the  following  year  they  built 
a  cabin  church  18x18  feet,  without  a  nail  or  glass. 
In  1813  they  were  followed  by  Rev.  William  Car- 
penter, their  former  pastor,  who  had  served  the  old 
Hebron  church  in  Virginia  twenty-six  years,  and 
now  for  twenty  years  more,  until  his  death  in  1833,  he 
was  the  pastor  of  this  colony  in  this  remote  region. 
The  leading  members  were  Geo.  Rouse,  Ephraim 
Tanner,  John  Rouse,  John  House,  Fred.  Zimmerman, 
Michael  Rouse,  John  Beemon,  Jacob  Rouse,  Daniel 
Beemon  and  Simon  Tanner.  They  in  time  became  a 
charge  of  three  congregations,  and  built  churches. 
Hopeful  in  1824  built  a  log  church  25x25,  and  in  1837 
a  brick  church  35x50  at  a  cost  of  about  $2,000.00.  In 
1854  Hebron  built  a  church  at  a  cost  of  $2,000.00,  and 
in  1855  Ebenezer  built  at  a  cost  of  $1,200.00.  This 
charge  came  into  the  Miami  Synod  at  its  organization 
under  the  pastorship  of  Rev.  J.  Crigler.  Rev.  H.  Max 
Lentz  is  the  present  p:istor. 


CONGREGATIONS  AND  PASTORS. 


79 


Dodsonville. — The  Lutheran  church  at  this  place 
was  organized  in  1839  by  Rev.  John  Surface,  of  the 
Synod  of  the  West.  There  were  about  twenty  charter 
members.  The  leading  ones  were  Andrew  Shafer, 
Adam  Shafer,  George  Shafer,  Daniel  Shafer,  Jonas 
Shafer,  John  Shafer  and  Adam  Orebaugh.  These  had 
removed  from  Frieden's,  a  Lutheran  congregation 
about  eight  miles  east  of  Dodsonville.  The  first  house 
of  worship  was  erected  in  1844,  at  a  cost  of  about 
$800.00.  The  second  church,  a  brick,  was  erected  in 
1879,  at  a  cost  of  about  $3,000.00.  This  congregation 
was  incorporated  in  January,  1889.  Jonas  Shafer, 
prior  to  his  death,  purchased  an  organ  for  $125.00 
and  donated  it  to  the  congregation.  There  is  a  par- 
sonage at  this  place. 

In  1845  tne  charge  was  reported  to  Synod  as  con- 
sisting of  three  congregations  and  desiring  a  pastor,  as 
they  were  at  the  time  without  one,  but  able  to  give  a 
support.  In  1852  they  were  visited  by  Rev.  P.  Rizer, 
of  Dayton.  He  reported  to  the  Synod  that  there 
were  four  congregations,  Dodsonville,  Frieden's,  Mt. 
Pisgah  and  Brush  Creek.  He  found  about  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  members  in  the  charge,  and  some  of 
them  blessed  with  an  abundance  of  this  world's  goods. 
He  thought  nearly  all  had  enough  and  to  spare.  It 
seemed  to  him  as  a  promising  field  abundantly  able 
to  support  a  pastor.  Prior  to  his  visit  the  pastors  had 
been  Surface,  Henning,  Rollinson,  Klink  and  Daggey, 
who  had  recently  died  in  their  midst.  The  charge 
has  been  from  time  to  time  served  by  pastors  from 


8o  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

this  Synod.  Rev.  C.  Stroud  supplied  the  charge  for 
considerable  time.  Rev.  J.  Borns,  who  has  at  times 
preached  as  supply  when  the  charge  was  vacant,  is 
now  the  pastor. 

Xenia  Charge. -The  records  show  that  in  1842, 
Rev.  J.  Lehman  was  the  pastor  at  Xenia,  and  had 
twenty-one  members.  In  1854  the  charge  consisted 
of  Xenia,  Beaver,  Union  and  Mt.  Zion. 

In  1 86 1  Rev.  J.  F.  Shaffer  became  pastor.  He 
found  at  Xenia  nineteen  members,  at  Mt.  Zion 
twenty-seven  members,  at  Beaver,  a  German  Reformed 
church,  a  few  Lutherans,  and  at  Bryan  a  few  Lutheran 
people,  with  a  one-half  interest  in  a  church  property. 
He  after  some  time  abandoned  Beaver  and  Bryan,  and 
concentrated  his  efforts  on  Xenia  and  Mt.  Zion.  When 
he  retired,  in  1881,  there  were  one  hundred  and  forty 
members  in  the  charge,  and  the  contributions  for 
benevolence  during  the  year,  outside  of  local  ex- 
penses, were  $202.25.  Since  then  there  have  been 
frequent  changes  of  pastors,  and  the  charge  sometimes 
vacant.  Xenia  is  the  only  congregation  remaining  in 
the  charge.  Its  membership  is  now  about  fifty,  but 
has  been  less  at  times  in  the  later  years.  Rev.  Frank 
S.  Delo  is  now  the  pastor ;  he  has  been  doing  good 
work  for  two  years  in  this  church,  preaching  as  a  sup- 
ply whilst  studying  theology  in  the  Seminary  at  Wit- 
tenberg. 

Bethel. — In  1843,  a  number  of  Lutheran  families 
came  from  York  county,  Pa.,  to  Madison  township, 
Clark  county,  Ohio.  Revs.  Link  and  Lehman  preached 


CONGREGATIONS  AND  PASTORS.  8 1 

for  them  occasionally,  until  in  1844,  when  they  were 
organized  by  Dr.  Keller.  The  preaching  was  some- 
times in  the  house  of  F.  Hoke,  and  sometimes  in  a 
meeting-house  belonging  to  the  New  Light  church, 
until  in  1845  they  built  a  house  of  worship  on  the  site 
donated  by  M.  Hurst.  Among  the  leading  members 
were  the  Strayers,  Ruperts,  Hurshs,  Kumps  and 
Dorans.  They  have  church  records  complete.  Rev. 
S.  Weilles  was  the  pastor  for  considerable  time  in  later 
years.  The  congregation  has  just  completed  a  new 
church.  Rev.  George  Bellinger  serves  this  church  at 
present  in  connection  with  Rockway. 

Liberty  Charge. — Dr.  G.  F.  Stelling,  assisted  by  Rev. 
G.  M.  Grau,  organized  the  church  at  Liberty  on  the  loth 
of  May,  1 879.  Thirty-one  persons  came  in  at  the  time 
of  organizing,  and  seventeen  more  united  shortly  after- 
wards. There  was  at  the  time  a  flourishing  Sunday- 
school.  There  had  formerly  been  a  Lutheran  church 
at  this  place.  A  subscription  was  immediately  circu- 
lated for  the  purpose  of  erecting  a  church,  and  a  fine 
new  church  was  built  the  following  summer.  Rev. 
Grau  organized  a  church  at  Farmersville  on  the  20th 
of  August,  1879,  and  also  a  Sunday-school.  The 
congregation  repaired  and  fitted  up  an  old  brick 
structure  at  an  expense  of  $776.00.  It  was  dedicated 
on  the  following  7th  of  September.  Rev.  A.  A.  Hund- 
ley is  the  pastor  in  this,  Euphemia,  Farmersville  and 
Shiloh  churches.  These  churches  are  known  at  pres- 
ent as  the  Midway  charge. 

St.  Paris    Church, — In    1843    Jacob  and    Mary 


82  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

Walborn  executed  to  D.  A.  Death,  A.  Rinaker  and 
D.  Hoffman,  as  Trustees,  a  deed  for  a  parcel  of  ground 
to  be  used  as  a  graveyard.  In  1 844  a  frame  church  was 
built.  In  1 846  a  second  organization  was  effected  by 
Dr.  E.  Keller,  and  Rev.  A.  Helwig  became  pastor  of 
the  new  organization.  He  continued  as  pastor  fifteen 
years,  and  after  an  absence  of  thirteen  years,  was  re- 
called in  1874,  and  remained  three  years,  or  until 
1877.  At  the  time  of  organization  there  were  twenty- 
five  members,  and  the  officers  were  Martin  Walborn, 
A.  Apple,  Jacob  Walborn,  and  S.  Apple.  In  1861 
Rev.  A.  Helwig  closed  his  first  term  as  pastor,  there 
were  then  120  members.  The  frame  church  built  in 
1844  cost  $500.00.  The  brick  church  in  1854  cost 
$3,000.00.  The  second  brick  church,  built  in  1882, 
cost  $6,000.00.  The  people  were  mostly  from  Penn- 
sylvania. The  Sunday-school  was  organized  1846, 
and  for  want  of  books,  the  letters  of  the  alphabet 
were,  in  some  instances,  printed  on  shingles.  Of  the 
charter  members,  mothers  Death  and  Thatcher  are 
still  living.  This  and  the  Zerkel's  church  constitute 
a  charge,  and  Rev.  E.  F.  Dickey  is  the  pastor. 

Zerkel  church  was  organized  by  Dr.  E.  Keller,  in 
1846.  The  leading  members  were  Abraham,  Henry, 
and  Jacob  Zerkel.  They  and  others,  about  15  in  all, 
came  from  Virginia.  The  first  church  house  was  built 
in  1848,  at  a  cost  of  $600.00.  It  has  been  re-con- 
structed and  improved  several  times  since.  The  first 
regular  pastor  was  Rev.  A.  Helwig,  who  served  four- 
teen years.  Soon  after  the  building  of  the  church, 


CONGREGATIONS  AND  PASTORS.  83 

some  of  the  members  opposed  night  preaching,  and 
the  use  of  candles  in  the  church,  and  they  withdrew 
and  built  another  church  near  by. 

Vandalia  Charge. — From  1835  to  1840  Rev.  Klapp 
preached  at  Stillwater.  In  1840  Rev.  D.  P.  Rosen- 
miller  served  Stillwater,  in  connection  with  Dayton, 
until  1849.  An  old  log  church  was  there  as  early  as 
1816.  It  is  not  known  how  long  before.  The  ground 
for  the  church  and  graveyard  was  deeded  by  Emanuel 
Coble.  Revs.  Mow,  Hinecker  and  Spence  were  among 
the  early  preachers.  The  Cobles,  Staleys,  Frybergers, 
Catners  and  Clowds  were  the  leading  families  and 
were  probably  from  Virginia. 

About  1830  a  frame  church  was  built.  In  1842  a 
one-story  brick  church  was  built.  In  1873  this  was 
torn  down  and  the  material  taken  to  Spankertown. 
The  new  church  in  its  new  location  cost  $3000.00. 

Vandalia  Church. — In  1856  Rev.  J.  Schauer  became 
pastor,  and  a  religious  interest  continuing  for  a  con- 
siderable time  and  becoming  somewhat  general,  the 
United  Brethren  in  Vandalia  offered  the  use  of  their 
church,  in  which  meetings  were  held  during  1858  and 
1859.  A  considerable  number  of  persons  were  con- 
verted, and  a  church  was  organized  in  Vandalia. 
There  were,  probably,  thirty  members  at  the  time, 
among  whom  were  the  Runkles,  Dodsons,  Tobiases, 
Davises,  Johnsons,  Wellses  and  others. 

This  charge  is  served  at  present  by  Rev.  P.  B. 
Fasold. 

The  Tippe canoe  City  church  was  organized  in  1826. 


84  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

Vandalia  and  Casstown  were  then  part  of  the  charge, 
Rev.  John  Pantz  was  the  first  pastor.  It  is  not  known 
where  he  was  educated  or  to  what  Synod  he  belonged. 
John  Ritter  and  John  Sanders  were  leading  laymen. 
They  came  from  Pennsylvania.  The  first  house  of 
worship  was  a  log  building  erected  in  1826,  and  was 
intended  for  church  and  school  purposes.  Rev.  A.  S. 
Link  became  pastor  in  1839,  and  in  1846  the  present 
church  was  erected  under  his  pastoral  care.  He  was 
followed  by  Revs.  Aughe  and  Harris,  and  recalled  in 
1 86 1  and  soon  after  died  greatly  lamented.  The 
membership  became  dispirited  and  were  without  a 
pastor  until  1863,  when  Rev.  S.  Weills  was  called. 
This  has  been  an  important  church,  and  has  had  the 
services  of  many  of  our  best  pastors.  It  is  now  served 
by  Rev.  J.  H.  Zinn. 

The  Urbana  church  was  first  organized  in  1846, 
with  thirteen  members,  mostly  from  Virginia.  The 
leading  laymen  were  J.  Poffinberger,  James  Thompson, 
Abraham  Studebaker,  J.  Miller,  Jacob  Gardner,  Wal- 
ter E.  Lochart,  Shepherd  Grove  and  Fred.  Clotfelter. 
The  first  pastor  was  Rev.  A.  Helwig,  and  the  worship 
in  the  English.  The  worship  was  conducted  in  a 
school  house,  erected  by  J.  Poffinberger,  until  1851, 
when  a  small  brick  church  was  built.  During  the 
pastorship  of  Rev.  Daniel  Schindler  a  parsonage  was 
erected  on  part  of  the  church  lot.  This  church  con- 
tended with  difficulties  which  hindered  its  growth, 
until  in  1861  the  President  of  Synod  reported  that 
"  The  congregation  at  Urbana  is,  in  a  manner,  broken 


CONGREGATIONS  AND  PASTORS.  85 

tip.  They  still  hold  the  church  property,  worth  about 
$4,000.00,  with  a  debt  resting  upon  them  of  about 
$800.00.  Can  anything  be  done  to  keep  that  prop- 
erty in  our  possession?"  The  debt  was  afterwards 
paid  by  selling  the  parsonage  and  part  of  the  church 
lot.  The  church  remained  vacant  after  the  resignation 
of  Rev.  J.  D.  Severinghaus,  in  1863,  until  1867,  when 
Rev.  A.  J.  Imhoff,  under  the  supervision  of  the  Board 
of  Home  Missions,  organized  the  second  time,  with 
twenty-five  members,  who  were  mostly  from  Germany 
and  understood  very  little  English,  but  the  worship 
was  conducted  in  the  English  alone.  There  were  then 
only  six  members  of  the  first  organization  in  the  com- 
munity, and  they  were  old  people,  living,  some  of 
them,  at  considerable  distance  from  the  church.  In 
1873  Rev.  Imhoff  retired  from  the  pastorship,  and 
a  year  or  two  afterwards  a  meeting  of  the  mem- 
bers of  this  church  was  called  for  the  purpose  of  dis- 
banding ;  but  when  they  came  together  they  could  not 
find  it  in  their  hearts  to  do  so,  and  with  tears  and 
promises  they  resolved  to  continue,  and  called  Rev.  J. 
W.  Souders  as  pastor. 

Rev.  A.  J.  Imhoff  was  recalled  in  1877,  and  in  1885 
and  1886  the  house  of  worship  was  enlarged  and  im- 
proved at  an  expense  of  $6,000.00. 

The  leading  members  in  the  second  organization 
were  E.  B.  Gaumer,  Elias  Landis,  John  F.  Rettberg, 
Augustus  Dernette  and  Louis  Borger. 

The  present  pastor  is  Rev.  H.  B.  Shank. 

The  Troy  Church.— -In  1859,  Rev.  John  Hinderer, 


86  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

who  was  educated  at  Wittenberg  College,  accepted  a 
call  to  a  small  Lutheran  church  in  Troy.  He  was  a 
studious  and  very  godly  man,  and  continued  in  the 
pastorship  of  this  church  until  his  death  in  1880. 

The  leading  laymen  were  Henry  Stuck,  Charles 
Meyers,  Henry,  Frederick  and  William  Raynurs, 
John  Sager,  Charles  and  Christian  Eidemiller.  The 
charter  members  were  thirty.  The  church  building 
was  bought  from  the  Presbyterians  in  1850,  at  a  cost 
of  $5,000.00.  The  worship  was  in  the  German  and 
English  languages.  The  church  has  been  recently  re- 
constructed at  a  cost  of  thirteen  hundred  dollars 
under  the  administration  of  Rev.  S.  C.  Kinsinger. 

The  long  struggling  of  this  and  some  of  the  other 
churches  of  our  Synod,  and  their  final  success  at  the 
last,  indicates  that  there  is  a  providence  in  their  ex- 
istence, and  it  seems  to  be  true,  as  Bishop  Macllvaine 
said  to  a  small  congregation  that  proposed  to  disband, 
"When  God  plants  a  vine  He  intends  it  to  grow." 

Harshmanville  congregation,  in  1886,  under  the 
pastoral  care  of  Rev.  E.  R.  Wagner,  Ph.D.,  was  en- 
gaged in  the  erection  of  a  church  which  was  dedicated 
Jan.  23,  1887.  It  is  a  neat  brick  building,  with  spire, 
stained  glass  windows,  and  inclined  floor,  and  has  a 
seating  capacity  of  250.  The  cost  of  the  edifice  was 
about  $3,500.00. 

The  Rockway  Church  grew  out  of  a  movement  in 
1884-5,  to  start  a  Union  Society.  It  was  afterwards, 
in  1887,  organized  as  a  Lutheran  church  under  the 
pastoral  care  of  Rev.  E.  Lee  Fleck.  The  house  of 


CONGREGATIONS  AND  PASTORS.  87 

worship  was  erected  in  1885,  and  cost  $4,200.00. 
The  leading  members  were  W.  H.  Bitner,  B.  H.  Ger- 
man and  L.  Miller,  all  from  Pennsylvania.  The 
present  pastor  is  Rev.  Geo.  Bollinger. 

St.  John's  English  Lutheran  Church  of  Delaware. 
— In  1885  there  was  a  division  in  the  Joint  Ohio 
Synod  Lutheran  church  in  Delaware,  O.  The  osten- 
sible occasion  for  the  division  seemed  to  be  the  Secret 
Society  question,  but  that  was  not  all,  for  the  Delaware 
Daily  Gazette  of  August  4th,  says  :  "  The  Secret  So- 
ciety question  is  not  the  only  reason  for  dissatisfaction ; 
close  communion  and  non-union  of  pulpit  have  long 
been  disapproved  by  the  intelligent  and  progressive 
portion  of  the  congregation."  The  withdrawing  party 
first  organized  with  a  purpose  to  unite  with  the  Gen- 
eral Council,  but  that  movement  was  not  satisfactory, 
because  after  they  were  organized  and  presented  with 
a  constitution  which  seemed  to  them  to  put  all  power 
in  the  hands  of  the  pastor,  they  began  to  investigate 
matters  and  found  they  had  gone  into  a  different 
Synod,  but  yet  very  similar  to  the  one  they  had  left. 
After  several  weeks  of  further  consideration,  on  the 
1 4th  of  November,  they  adopted  the  following  : 

Resolved,  That,  as  a  congregation,  we  unite  with  the  General 
Synod  of  the  United  States. 

This  necessitated  reorganization,  and  Dr.  S.  A.  Ort 
was  immediately  telegraphed  to  come  and  preach  and 
organize  a  General  Synod  church.  Dr.  Ort  came 
and  preached  on  the  i5th  of  November,  and  returned 


88  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

again  on  the  22nd,  accompanied  by  the  President  of 
the  Miami  Synod,  Dr.  J.  F.  Shaffer.  And  the  re- 
organization was  effected,  and  the  following  officers 
were  elected  and  installed  : 

Elders  :  Henry  Bieber,  John  Lenhart,  J.  J.  Richard 
and  Adam  Cromer.  Deacons :  John  Lasher,  Jacob 
Leibolt,  Wm.  Hannitch  and  A.  Burkhart. 

Trustees :  Jacob  Bieber,  Charles  Rubrecht,  John 
Steitz,  Lewis  Smith  and  Joel  Rubrecht. 

The  little  Welsh  church,  on  Winter  street,  was 
rented,  and  services  held  in  it.  Dr.  Shaffer,  by  re- 
quest, preached  on  the  following  Sunday,  and  after 
the  morning  service,  the  congregation  being  requested 
to  remain,  they  proceeded,  without  his  knowledge 
or  consent,  and  elected  him  as  their  pastor.  They 
presented  him  with  a  formal  call,  and  asked 
whether  he  would  accept.  He  replied  that  he 
would  consider  the  matter  and  consult  his  family. 
Four  days  later,  on  December  3,  1885,  he  sent  in  his 
formal  acceptance,  and  the  following  week,  he,  with 
his  family,  moved  to  the  city  of  Delaware,  and  com- 
menced his  ministry  there  on  the  i3th  of  December. 

Dr.  Shaffer  entered  upon  this  enterprise  without  any 
promise  of  support  from  any  of  the  Boards.  They,  as 
yet,  did  not  know  of  the  movement.  The  congrega- 
tion consisted  of  eighty-nine  nominal  members.  That 
was  all  he  had  :  everything  was  to  do.  The  members 
were  to  be  organized  for  practical  work — a  lot  to  select 
and  purchase,  a  church  edi-fice  to  erect.  There  was 
a  strain,  but  there  must  be  no  wavering  under  the  cir- 


CONGREGATIONS  AND  PASTORS.  89 

cu instances.  He  set  about  the  work,  made  the  ac- 
quaintance of  his  members,  organized  a  catechetical 
class  of  thirty  persons,  obtained  a  loan  of  $2,000.00 
from  the  Church  Extension  Board,  and  from  the  Home 
Mission  Board  a  grant  of  $300.00  per  year  for  four 
years.  Providence  favored,  and  he  secured  a  valuable 
and  well  located  lot  at  $2,000.00.  The  congregation 
were,  in  a  short  time,  offered  $800.00  bonus  for  the  lot. 

A  building  committee  was  appointed,  and  in  eleven 
months  from  the  day  of  the  organization  of  the  con- 
gregation, a  house  of  worship  was  dedicated,  which 
cost  about  $11,000.00. 

This  church  has  had  remarkable  prosperity.  It  has 
now  a  membership  of  two  hundred  and  thirteen,  a 
Sunday-school  of  one  hundred  and  thirty,  and  all  the 
departments  of  church  work  thoroughly  organized. 

The  Third  Lutheran  Church  in  Springfield  was 
organized  in  1887.  Rev.  E.  Lee  Fleck,  educated  at 
Wittenberg  College,  became  the  first  pastor.  The 
charter  members  were  twenty-five,  among  whom  were 
Prof.  Geo.  H.  Young,  Dr.  C.  L.  Ehrenfeld,  C.  L. 
Reese,  L.  E.  Miller,  M.  L.  Sise  and  J.  P.  Lyday.  A 
church  was  immediately  erected  at  a  cost  of  about 
$3,500.00,  and  dedicated  Dec.  iith,  1887.  In  Sep- 
tember, 1888,  Rev.  E.  Lee  Fleck  retired  from  the 
pastorship,  and  the  present  pastor,  Rev.  L.  S.  Keyser, 
was  installed  May  26th,  1889.  The  present  member- 
ship is  about  135.  They  are  well  organized  for  all 
the  departments  of  church  work. 

The   Fifth   Lutheran    Church   in    Springfield  was 


9o 


HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 


organized  July  5th,  1891.  Rev.  Frederick  G.  Got- 
wald,  educated  at  Wittenberg  College,  ordained  by 
Miami  Synod  October  nth,  1891,  was  installed  pastor, 
March  27,  1892.  The  charter  members  were  twenty- 
one.  The  leading  laymen  were  L.  E.  Miller,  A.  E. 
Colt,  J.  Gerhardt,  F.  Danforth,  H.  Yonker,  H.  C. 
Smith,  B.  Yonker,  E.  P.  Miller,  P.  Gerhardt  and  others, 
all  Ohio  men. 

The  first  building  was  a  dwelling  house  remodeled, 
and  dedicated  December  i4th,  1890.  The  second  is  a 
beautiful  stone  building  at  a  cost  of  $15,000.00.  It 
stands  on  the  corner  of  East  High  and  Greenmount 
Avenue.  This  church  had  a  small  beginning,  but  has 
had  a  rapid  growth.  They  are  now  a  strong  people, 
with  a  splendid  property. 

Second  Lutheran  church,  Cincinnati,  was  organized 
July  ist,  1888,  and  Rev.  J.  A.  Hall,  D.  D.,  became  the 
pastor.  The  leading  members  were  Lewis  Voight, 
Geo.  Fisher,  F.  H.  Alms,  J.  H.  Frey,  F.  Shuler,  and 
others,  making  in  all  thirty-eight  charter  members. 
They  were  nearly  all  brought  up  in  Cincinnati.  They 
erected,  in  1891,  a  house  of  worship  at  a  cost  of 
$22,000.00. 

St.  Paul's  English  Lutheran  church,  Cincinnati, 
was  organized  October  6,  1889.  The  first  pastor  was 
Rev.  O.  G.  Klinger,  who  had  been  educated  at  Gettys- 
burg, Pa.  Stuckenberg,  Cook,  and  twenty-seven 
others  constituted  the  charter  members.  They  were 
from  the  First  church,  on  Elm  street.  They  erected 
a  house  of  worship  in  1892,  at  a  cost  of  $10,000.00. 


CONGREGATIONS  AND  PASTORS. 


91 


This  congregation  grew  out  of  a  Sunday-school,  organ- 
ized in  1869,  by  Mr.  H.  H.  Stuckenberg.  Rev.  E.  R. 
Wagner,  under  whose  supervision  the  house  of  wor- 
ship was  erected,  is  the  present  pastor. 

Columbus,  Ohio,  was  visited  from  time  to  time  dur- 
ing the  entire  history  of  Miami  Synod,  with  a  view  to 
the  organization  of  a  General  Synod  church,  but  no 
definite  action  was  ever  taken  until  in  1891,  when  the 
Immanuel  Evangelical  Lutheran  church  was  organized. 
Rev.  H.  C.  Grossman,  under  whose  pastorate  a  house 
of  worship  was  erected,  became  the  first  pastor,  but 
was  soon  followed  by  Rev.  F.  L.  Sigmund,  who  is  the 
present  pastor.  The  charter  members  were  twenty- 
seven,  of  whom  Dr.  David  Beaver  and  O.  M.  Runkle 
were  leaders.  They  dedicated  a  church  February  7, 
1892,  which  cost  $4,500.00. 

Trinity  Lutheran  church,  Bellevue,  Ky.,  was  organ- 
ized April  29th,  1892,  by  Rev.  G.  G.  Clark,  the  first 
pastor.  The  charter  members  were  30  ;  among  these 
J.  J.  Troxell,  E.  W.  Weaver  and  Charles  P.  Matti  were 
leaders.  They  erected,  in  the  winter  of  1892  and  '93, 
a  house  of  worship  at  a  cost  of  about  $9,000.00.  The 
congregation  is  well  organized  and  in  a  prosperous 
condition. 

St.  Luke's  Evangelical  Lutheran  church,  of  Spring- 
field, was  on  the  3oth  day  of  May,  1888,  organized  on 
the  basis  of  the  General  Synod.  The  membership 
consisted  of  140  persons,  including  over  fifty  families. 

In  1888,  at  the  meeting  in  Delaware,  the  pastor, 
Rev.  C.  W.  Knuth,  and  the  congregation,  upon  their 


92 


HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 


application,  were  received  into  connection  with  the 
Miami  Synod. 

Marietta  church.  The  first  German  church  in 
Marietta  was  organized  in  1839,  under  the  name  of 
"  Deutsche  Vereinigte  Evangelische  Kirche."  In  1 858 
personal  difficulties  among  the  members  caused  a  di- 
vision. The  larger  portion  of  the  membership  with- 
drawing, organized  the  German  Evangelical  Pro- 
testant St.  Luke's  church,  and  remained  independent. 
The  first  Sunday  in  Advent,  1889,  they  introduced 
English  service  in  the  evening,  and  soon  after  used 
both  languages  in  the  catechetical  class  and  Sunday- 
school.  The  first  pastor  was  Rev.  Zobel,  and  was 
probably  educated  in  Germany,  but  did  not  belong  to 
a  synod.  During  the  first  thirty-one  years  of  the  ex- 
istence of  the  original  church,  it  called  and  was  served 
by  fifteen  pastors  who  were  either  independent  or  be- 
longed to  different  ecclesiastical  organizations.  This 
first  church  of  1839,  in  later  years,  joined  the  Evan- 
gelical Synod  of  North  America. 

The  second  church  of  1858  is  still  independent, 
though  working  harmoniously  with  their  present  pas- 
tor, Rev.  K.  F.  Thieme,  who  came  into  the  Miami 
Synod  in  1892.  In  1893,  under  the  present  pastor, 
there  was  organized  a  new  English-speaking  organiza- 
tion under  the  name  of  Evangelical  Mission.  This 
new  organization  being  duly  organized  under  its  own 
constitution,  with  its  own  officers,  made  application 
and  was  received  into  the  Miami  Synod  at  the  recent 
session  in  Urbana. 


FRAGMENTA. 


93 


No  data  for  this  history  have  been  obtained  from  the 
Casstown  congregation,  or  from  the  Brookville,  Os- 
born  and  Newark  charges.  This  is  regretted,  as  there 
are  interesting  facts  connected  with  all  of  them. 


FRAGMENTA. 

Until  1863  the  Synod  held  its  sessions  in  April  and 
May;  from  that  time  until  1865,  the  meetings  were  in 
June ;  then  four  sessions  were  in  August,  and  since 
1869  they  have  been  in  October. 

In  the  early  history  of  the  Synod  evening  services 
in  the  churches  were  appointed  to  meet  "  at  early 
candle-  lighting." 

In  1847,  the  President  reported,  "The  past  winter 
was  discouraging  to  our  ministers.  The  unusual  in- 
clemency of  the  weather  and  the  difficulties  of  the 
roads  made  it  almost  utterly  impossible  to  convene 
numerous  audiences  to  attend  divine  worship." 

For  many  years  the  Synod  maintained  correspond- 
ence with  other  Lutheran  Synods  and  the  ecclesias- 
tical bodies  of  other  denominations. 

There  are  no  minutes  of  the  5th  meeting  of  this 
Synod. 

At  the  meeting  in  1849  there  were  ten  ministers 
present,  but  no  officers.  At  the  previous  meeting  six 
had  been  dismissed  to  form  the  Olive  Branch  Synod. 
Rev.  J.  Seiss,  of  Md.,was  present  at  this  meeting  and 
participated  in  the  work  of  the  Synod.  Prof.  Wm.  M. 
Reynolds  by  letter  informed  the  Synod  that  he  would 
issue  the  ist  number  of  the  Evangelical  Review  the  ist 
of  July.  The  enterprise  was  heartily  approved  of. 


94  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

In  1850  the  Synod  adopted  a  plan  for  increasing 
the  contributions  to  the  various  operations  of  the 
church. 

In  1852,  after  encountering  a  great  diversity  of 
opinion,  the  Synod  finally  succeeded  in  adopting  a 
form  for  parochial  reports. 

In  June  1855,  the  Synod  memorialized  the  General 
Synod,  which  met  in  Dayton,  O.,  the  same  month,  as 
to  a  plan  for  a  mission  in  Africa,  and  the  General 
Synod  inaugurated  the  movement  for  such  a  mission. 

In  1861  the  Synod  appointed  a  committee  to  re- 
port on  the  national  crisis  and  resolved  to  support  the 
government  in  the  effort  to  suppress  rebellion. 

In  1863  a  committee  reported  favorably  of  the 
Union  Doctrinal  Basis  of  the  Evangelical  Ministerial 
Association  of  Cincinnati.  Dr.  Harrison  was  Secretary 
of  the  Association,  and  the  doctrinal  basis  was  de- 
signed to  show  that  there  is  a  wide  and  substantial 
agreement  among  Evangelical  denominations. 

In  1864  the  committee  on  the  state  of  religion, 
says :  "  The  wholesome  practice  of  catechetical  in- 
struction preparatory  to  confirmation,  though  not 
maintained  by  the  majority  of  the  pastors,  continues 
to  be  kept  up  by  some."  Since  then  catechisation 
has  become  the  universal  custom  in  the  churches  of 
this  Synod. 

In  1865  this  Synod  memoralized  the  Synods  con- 
nected with  Wittenberg  College  of  the  propriety  of 
forming  a  Home  Missionary. Union,  auxiliary  to  the 
Parent  Society. 


FRAGMENT  A. 


95 


In  1865  the  delegates  to  the  General  Synod  were 
divided  in  reference  to  the  action  taken  concerning 
the  Pennsylvania  Synod,  but  the  Miami  Synod  ap- 
proved of  the  action  of  the  General  Synod. 

In  1865  Rev.  M.  Officer  secured  from  this  Synod  a 
donation  of  one  thousand  dollars  to  aid  the  Mission 
at  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  in  erecting  a  house  of  worship. 

This  Synod  has  always  taken  a  lively  interest  in  fe- 
male education ;  at  one  time  took  an  interest  in  the 
Cooper  Academy  at  Dayton,  in  which  Prof.  Victor 
Conrad  was  teaching,  and  at  another  time  in  a  propo- 
sition to  open  a  female  seminary  at  Urbana,  but  the 
final  and  best  was  to  open  the  college  to  lady 
students. 

At  the  meeting  in  Cincinnati  in  1872,  Dr.  Gran- 
ville  Moody  of  the  M.  E.  church,  being  invited  to  a 
seat  as  an  advisory  member,  delivered  an  eloquent 
eulogy  on  Luther  and  the  church  called  by  his  name. 
He  referred  to  the  conversion  of  John  Wesley  through 
the  instrumentality  of  a  Lutheran  divine,  and  to  his 
own  personal  interest  in  the  Lutheran  church  because 
of  his  connection  with  our  lamented  brethren,  Drs. 
Harrison  and  Diehl,  (he  was  the  uncle  of  their 
wives). 

During  the  winter  and  spring  of  1876  meetings  of 
joint  committees  appointed  by  different  Western 
Synods  were  held  to  consider  the  establishment  of  a 
church  paper.  But  no  action  was  taken,  because  the 
Synods  would  not  make  themselves  responsible  finan- 
cially in  the  matter.  This  Synod  by  resolution,  prom- 


96  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

ised  to  encourage  any  individual  or  individuals  who 
would  publish  such  a  paper,  by  procuring  subscribers 
for  the  same.  This  action  preceded  the  inaugura- 
tion of  the  second  Lutheran  Evangelist ;  the  first  was 
one  published  at  Springfield,  in  1853,  with  Prof.  V.  L. 
Conrad  as  editor. 

At  the  meeting  held  in  1876,  in  a  lengthy  memorial 
to  railroad  corporations,  are  found  these  words, 
"  Therefore,  we,  the  members  of  the  Miami  Synod  of 
the  Lutheran  Church,  do  this  day,  in  the  name  of  our 
common  Master,  petition  the  railroad  officials  through- 
out the  country  not  to  run  trains  of  cars  on  Sunday 
except  of  actual  necessity  and  mercy." 

The  Synod,  at  one  time,  considered  the  propriety 
of  employing  a  special  Missionary  to  stimulate  the 
Sunday-school  work  in  the  congregations. 

In  1846  Rev.  J.  B.  Oliver  reported  the  organiza- 
tion of  five  congregations,  and  the  building  of  three 
churches,  in  the  Wabash  valley ;  and  thirteen  mem- 
bers of  John's  church,  Hocking  county,  Ohio,  asked  the 
Synod  to  receive  Rev.  Conrad  Reiman  into  member- 
ship. He  had  been  their  faithful  pastor  for  seven 
years.  And  St.  Peter's  church,  Camden,  Ind.,  ap- 
plied for  admission  into  Synod,  and  for  aid  to  support 
Rev.  McReynolds  as  the  pastor. 

On  the  subject  of  divorce,  the  Synod  in  1884 
adopted  the  following : 

"  Resolved,  That  the  members  of  this  Synod  be  requested  to 
preach  on  the  subject,  and  set  forth  the  sacredness  of  the  mar- 
riage relation,  and  the  only  scriptural  grounds  of  divorce ;  and  to 


FRAGMENTA. 


97 


use  every  honorable  means  to  awaken  public  sentiment  against 
the  evil." 

In  1854  the  Synod 

Resolved,  That  we  highly  approve  of  the  manner  in  which  the 
Evangelical  Lutheran  has  been  conducted. 

Mr.  A.  Bosserman  was  dismissed  from  Synod  for  the 
publication  of  fundamental  errors  in  doctrine. 

In  1855  Rev.  J.  Surface,  with  some  laymen  whom  he 
ordained,  organized  the  so-called  Salem  Synod.  The 
action  was  declared  irregular  and  he  was  suspended 
until  he  would  confess  his  error,  which  he  did  in  1858 
and  was  fully  restored. 


ANNIVERSARY  ADDRESS. 


BY  REV.  A.  J.  IMHOFF,  D.  D. 


Fathers  and  Brothers  of  the  Miami  Synod:  I 
come  to  you  with  greetings  on  this  fiftieth  anni- 
versary of  our  Synod.  In  some  things  no  fifty  years 
of  this  world's  history  have  been  more  remarkable 
than  the  latter  half  of  this  nineteenth  century.  In 
commercial,  political  and  religious  condition  this 
world  is  not  what  it  was  in  1844,  when  a'little  band  of 
men  founded  our  Synod  at  Xenia,  Ohio.  Since  then 
Christianity  and  western  civilization  have  obtained  a 
permanent  foot-hold  in  China,  Japan,  Hindoostan  and 
Ceylon.  An  unknown  continent  in  Africa  has  been 
explored  and  occupied  by  the  advanced  guards  of 
modern  enterprise  and  its  attendants.  The  gold  of 
California  and  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  has  been 
mined,  and  the  cities  and  orange  groves  of  the  Pacific 
coast  have  come  into  existence.  Slavery  in  the 
United  States  has  been  abolished  by  the  most  stupen- 
dous war  of  modern  times.  Mormonism  in  Utah  has 
yielded  to  legislation.  The  liquor  traffic  has  been  as- 
sailed by  Christian  sentiment.  Railroads  have  be- 
come a  network  in  our  Eastern  States,  and  have  their 
(98) 


ANNIVERSARY  ADDRESS. 


99 


trunk  lines  across  the  continent.  Electricity  has  been 
made  to  carry  our  messages,  light  our  cities,  propel 
our  street  cars  and  run  our  machinery. 

It  is  impossible  at  this  hour  to  enumerate,  much 
less  to  describe,  the  wonderful  developments  of  me- 
chanical, commercial  and  moral  enterprises  of  this 
little  bit  of  Southern  Ohio  territory  on  which  our 
Synod  has  operated,  much  less  of  all  this  vast  country 
and  the  world.  Within  the  bounds  of  our  own  Synod 
the  farms,  the  turnpike  roads,  the  railroads,  the  cities, 
and  their  industries,  the  public  schools,  the  colleges, 
the  churches,  the  asylums,  have  all  grown  to  their 
present  importance.  Intelligent  philanthropy  and 
vast  increase  of  wealth  have  put  into  operation  a 
thousand  devices  for  the  relief  of  suffering  humanity. 
Fifty  years  ago  Cincinnati  was  a  respectable  town, 
Dayton,  Springfield  and  Columbus  were  villages. 
Now  the  whole  region  is  filled  with  large  communities 
and  extensive  industries. 

It  would  seem  to  be  a  proper  thing  this  evening  to 
speak  of  the  whole  Lutheran  church  during  the  past 
fifty  years ;  but  that  is  so  large  a  field  that  Dr.  Wolf 
and  Rev.  Lenker  each  with  a  large  volume,  have  only 
outlined  the  subject.  I  may  be  allowed,  however,  to 
say  that  the  Lutheran  missionary  and  evangelistic 
work,  carried  on  in  all  lands  during  the  past  350  years 
of  Protestant  Christianity,  was  never  so  active  and  vast 
in  its  operations,  as  during  these  later  years. 

In  the  remarkable  activity  of  this  present  century, 
the  Church  has  been  in  touch  with  every  forward 


100  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

movement.  It  has  often  led  in  the  general  eager- 
ness for  large  undertakings.  Many  things,  in  this 
century,  have  been  accomplished  for  the  evangeliza- 
tion of  the  world,  that  were  never  attempted  before. 

The  increase  in  membership,  in  educational 
agencies  calling  into  requisition  influence  and  wealth 
for  the  propagation  of  the  Church,  has  been  truly 
wonderful.  Never  did  Christian  sentiment  dominate 
this  world  as  it  does  now.  It  will  be  admitted  that 
the  Protestant  Christian  people  have  been  the  fore- 
most leaders  in  the  great  enterprises  promoting 
science,  government  and  religion.  And  it  will  be  ad- 
mitted, also,  that  the  Lutheran  people  all  this  while 
have  been  nearly  one-half  of  these  Protestants.  The 
records  show  that  they  have  been  equal  in  their  activ- 
ity to  any  part  of  this  enterprising  Protestant  popula- 
tion of  the  world. 

I  therefore  offer  for  consideration  this,  viz. :  That 
whatever  progress  has  been  made  in  higher  civiliza- 
tion, Lutheran  people  have  been  among  the  leaders. 
And  that  in  any  true  revival  of  religion  that  has  ob- 
tained during  the  last  half  century,  the  Lutheran 
Church  has  shared  equally  with  any  Protestant  church. 
The  first  part  of  this  proposition  I  will  not  attempt  to 
discuss.  I  desire  to  call  attention  to  the  second  part, 
viz. :  "  That  in  any  true  revival  of  religion  that  has 
obtained  during  the  last  half  century,  the  Lutheran 
Church  has  shared  equally  with  any  Protestant 
church." 

That  there  has  been  a  revival  in  all  the  Protestant 


ANNIVERSARY  ADDRESS.  IQI 

churches,  during  this  century,  every  intelligent  Chris- 
tian knows. 

At  the  opening  of  the  century  Deism  and  bald  athe- 
ism held  sway  in  England  and  France. 

In  this  country  the  infidelity  of  England  had  the 
effect  to  produce  religious  indifferentism ;  so  that 
whilst  absolute  infidelity  had  not  many  advocates, 
there  were  very  many  who  scorned  to  be  counted  as 
believers.  Very  few  students,  in  the  colleges,  pro- 
fessed religion,  and  professional  men  rarely  were  com- 
muning members  and  active  workers  in  any  church. 
During  the  first  half  of  the  century  rationalism  was  in 
vogue  in  Germany,  and  wrought  havoc  among  the  Lu- 
theran people  there,  and  in  all  the  lands  to  which  they 
were  emigrating.  But  the  gates  of  hell  did  not  pre- 
vail, for  God  came  to  the  aid  of  his  Church.  Many 
gifted  men  were  filled  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  by  in- 
telligent and  persistent  labor  turned  back  the  tide  of 
infidelity,  and  a  revival  of  religion  followed.  It  was  felt 
first  in  England  and  all  her  colonies,  especially  in  the 
United  States.  The  most  formidable  enemy,  how- 
ever, of  Christianity  in  moderm  times,  was  the  form 
of  infidelity  known  as  German  Rationalism. 

It  did  its  greatest  harm  among  Lutheran  people ; 
but  it  was,  during  the  middle  part  of  this  century, 
confronted  by  the  learning  and  piety  of  Lutheran 
scholars  and  thoroughly  refuted. 

There  is  now  perhaps  more  German  Rationalism 
in  this  country  than  in  Germany.  The  overthrow  of 
Rationalism  in  Germany  was  followed  by  extensive  re- 


102  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

vival.  The  dawning  of  revival  in  the  Lutheran  coun- 
tries of  Europe,  was  indicated  not  by  camp-meetings, 
protracted  meetings  and  their  revival  methods,  but  by 
enthusiastic  missionary  and  general  benevolent  work. 
That  the  greatly  increased  missionary  work  of  the 
Lutheran  Church  in  Europe  is  the  result  of  the  re- 
vival of  this  age,  is  manifested  by  the  fact  that  much 
of  its  most  extensive  work  of  Christian  benevolence  is 
of  recent  date.  As  for  example,  the  Rauhe  Haus, 
which  conducts  Sunday-schools,  establishes  orphan- 
asylums  and  houses  of  protection  for  the  wayward, 
the  tempted  and  the  fallen,  the  prison  work,  the  Mag- 
delene  Aid  Societies — in  short,  the  Inner  Missions, 
the  Foreign  Missions,  the  Seamen's  Missions,  Jew- 
ish Missions,  Students'  Missionary  Societies,  Tract 
and  Bible  Societies,  Gustavus  Adolphus  Societies, 
Lutheran  Lord's  Treasuries,  Deaconesses  Work  and 
Educational  Work,  are  all  of  recent  date,  and  they  re- 
present a  grand  self-denying  Christian  activity.  They 
are  so  many  varied  systems  of  charitable  and  mission- 
ary work,  with  centers  of  operation  in  all  parts  of 
Germany  and  the  Scandanavian  countries.  These 
constantly  multiplying  organizations  are,  all  of  them, 
things  of  our  day.  Many  of  them  have  been  origi- 
nated since  the  organization  of  our  own  Synod.  And 
all  these  institutions  are  backed  up  by  thousands  of 
consecrated  Christians  and  millions  of  money ;  and 
are  pushing  on  the  evangelization  of  all  the  home 
countries  by  Inner  Mission  work — and  of  the  whole 
world  by  Foreign  Mission  work. 


ANNIVERSARY  ADDRESS. 


103 


The  point  I  make  is  that  all  this  work,  though  some 
of  it  had  its  beginning  in  the  past  centuries,  is  evi- 
dence of  revival  during  the  closing  decades  of  the 
present  century.  This  will  be  illustrated  by  any  one 
of  the  Christian  activities  of  European  Lutherans. 
Take,  at  random,  the  Norwegian  Ev.  Lutheran  Sea- 
man's Missionary  Society.  It  was  organized  in  1864, 
sent  out  its  first  missionary  in  1865,  held  its  first  con- 
vention the  same  year  with  12  delegates  from  7  dis- 
tricts. In  1887,  at  the  ninth  general  convention,  it 
was  represented  by  67  delegates  from  43  districts. 
Their  missionaries  in  foreign  lands  are  operating  in 
ten  principal  stations  and  a  great  number  of  sub- 
stations. The  "Brotherhood  on  the  Sea,"  organized 
by  ship  captains,  carry  their  special  flag  from  the 
mast  of  more  than  200  ships,  telling  that  in  their 
vessels  Almighty  God  is  worshipped  according  to  the 
service  of  the  Lutheran  Church  of  Norway.  In  alK 
their  principal  stations  they  have,  in  this  short  time  of 
twenty-nine  years,  fine  church  edifices  and  other 
properties.  All  this  work  is  supported  by  voluntary 
contributions  at  home  and  abroad.  One  source  of 
support,  and  I  name  only  one,  is  their  ladies'  socie- 
ties, of  which  they  have  several  hundred.  Their  lad- 
ies change  their  needle  and  fancy  work  into  money 
by  fairs  and  private  sales.  They  also  send  boxes  of 
clothing  to  be  distributed  to  seamen  and  their  fami- 
lies. American  ladies  are  not  the  only  ones  who 
indulge  in  missionary  work.  Thirty-five  Women's 
Societies  are  doing  city  mission  work  in  the  city  of 


104  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

Christiania  alone.  Norway  has  3,000  Women's  So- 
cieties working  in  the  interests  of  Home  and  Foreign 
Missions. 

If  it  needs  anything  further  to  show  that  Lutheran 
Protestants  have  kept  fully  abreast  with  the  best  evan- 
gelizing spirit  of  the  age,  I  might  cite  you  to  the 
ninety-three  Y.  M.  C.  A's.  of  Denmark,  and  hundreds 
of  similar  things,  showing  that  there  has  been,  and 
there  still  is,  a  true  revival  of  religion  among  the 
Lutheran  people  in  Europe. 

But  I  can  not  spend  this  whole  evening  in  an  at- 
tempt to  give  you  an  idea  of  what  the  Lutheran  Church 
has  done  in  foreign  lands  since  we  commenced  work 
in  the  Miami  Synod.  You  must  read  "  Lutherans  in 
all  Lands"  if  you  would  have  any  correct  idea. 

I  want  to  show  what  has  been  done  at  home.  At 
the  organization  of  the  Miami  Synod,  in  1844,  there 
were  in  the  United  States  13  Synods,  633  ministers, 
and  195,508  members;  since  then  45  Synods  have 
been  organized,  and  there  are  now  58  Synods,  5,102 
ministers  and  1,234,762  members,  more  than  6^ 
times  as  many. 

Then  there  were  5  theological  schools,  now  there 
are  26.  Then  there  was  one  college,  now  32  :  no 
Young  Ladies'  Seminary,  now  10.  Then  there  was 
one  Academy,  now  44.  Then  no  orphan's  home  or 
asylum  of  any  kind,  now  66.  Then  there  were  two 
Lutheran  periodicals  published  in  this  country,  now 
132  are  published,  in  9  different  languages.  Then 
Lutheran  books  were  published  by  two  publishing 


ANNIVERSARY  ADDRESS. 


105 


houses,  now  there  are  twenty  "American  Lutheran 
Publication  Houses." 

Everything  we  had  then  was  in  its  beginning  and 
weak,  now  these  things  are  strong  and  moving  on- 
ward with  accumulating  momentum. 

This  work  in  the  United  States  has  not  all  been 
done  by  the  Lutheran  people  here  at  home,  but  they 
have  been  helped  by  the  missionary  operations  of  the 
father-lands,  just  as  those  consecrated  people  by  their 
foreign  missionary  work  have  helped  in  India,  China, 
Palestine,  Africa,  Australia,  Madagascar,  Greenland, 
South  America,  and  elsewhere  all  over  the  world. 

Don 't  forget  my  text :  In  any  true  revival  of  relig- 
ion that  has  obtained  during  the  last  half  century,  the 
Lutheran  people  have  shared  equally  with  any  Prot- 
estant church.  The  magnitude  of  the  work  done  by 
them  in  this  and  other  lands  is  so  great  that  to  com- 
prehend it  the  imagination  is  almost  dazed. 

But  come  nearer  home,  into  our  own  Ohio.  In 
Wooster,  in  1844,  when  our  Synod  was  first  proposed, 
there  was  a  very  small  frame  structure  which  since 
gave  place  to  a  substantial  brick  church,  and  that 
again  was  supplanted  by  the  present  large  and  ele- 
gant modern  church  edifice.  Like  things,  and  even 
greater  things,  have  been  done  at  Ashland,  Mansfield, 
Bucyrus,  Findlay,  Tiffin  and  scores  of  other  places  in 
northern  Ohio.  All  over,  Ohio  and  Indiana,  where 
our  Lutheran  people  then  worshiped  in  private 
houses  and  school  houses,  they  have  since  then 
erected  beautiful  churches  and  dedicated  them  to 


106  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

the  worship  of  Almighty  God.  Like  things  have  been 
done  in  our  own  southern  Ohio.  Then  there  was 
one  small  church  in  Dayton,  since  then  large  and 
beautiful  churches.  Then  the  Lutheran  mission  of 
Cincinnati  worshiped  in  the  little  church  on  the 
south  side  of  Ninth  street;  since  then  that  gave 
place  to  the  large  church  on  Elm  street,  and  now 
Cincinnati  boasts  of  its  four  substantial  churches 
and  its  flourishing  congregations.  Then  Springfield 
had  no  church,  since  then  it  has  grown  to  be  a 
Lutheran  city  with  its  five  churches.  And  all  over 
our  Miami  Synod  territory  are  handsome  churches 
and  flourishing  congregations  where  there  was  noth- 
ing then. 

Then  Wittenberg  College  was  coming  into  exist- 
ence, but  had  nothing,  not  even  a  location.  Some 
one  seems  to  have  given  it  a  name,  however.  Since 
then  it  has  enrolled  hundreds  among  its  alumni  and 
gathered  hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars'  worth  of 
property  and  endowment.  It  has  made  its  name 
significant  and  its  fame  world-wide. 

When  Christ,  on  one  of  the  mountains  of  Galilee, 
commissioned  his  Church,  of  whom  there  were  more 
than  500  present,  He  said,  "Go  ye  and  teach  all 
nations,  disciple  them,  baptizing  them,  teaching  them 
to  observe  all  things."  "  Lo  !  I  am  with  you  alway, 
even  to  the  end  of  the  world."  And  he  has  kept  his 
promise  with  our  Lutheran  forefathers  even  in  the 
wilds  of  Southern  Ohio. 

The  times  were  still  somewhat  primitive  when  the 


ANNIVERSARY  ADDRESS.  107 

first  Miami  Synod  preachers  made  their  appointments 
at  early  candle  lighting,  and  the  tallow  dip  lighted 
the  school  house  or  the  log  church.  They  went  to 
their  appointments  on  foot,  because  the  roads  were 
too  bad  for  a  horse  to  go.  Then  the  national  road 
was  the  wonder  of  this  country,  and  the  canal-boat 
and  stage-coach  were  great  conveniences  for  through 
travel,  but  the  dense  forests  prevented  the  sun  from 
drying  up  the  water  and  mud  in  the  by-roads.  The 
macadamized  roads  and  safe  bridges  had  not  yet 
come  to  southern  Ohio.  The  man  who  could  lead 
his  horse  around  the  mud-hole  and  mount  his  back 
to  swim  the  swollen  stream,  was  a  man  fit  to  preach. 
The  hardship  endured  by  some  of  these  men  is  some- 
thing wonderful.  No  distance  was  too  great,  no 
roads  too  impassable,  no  weather  too  unfavorable  for 
them.  In  the  heat  of  summer,  in  the  cold  of  winter, 
through  dust  or  mud,  under  hot  sun  or  cold  snow- 
storm, they  went  to  their  appointments. 

It  is  fair  to  presume  that  no  man  would  do  so 
without  some  incentive.  What  it  was  with  these 
men,  every  man  must  judge  for  himself.  Men  some- 
times do  work  that  is  more  noble  than  the  motives 
which  impel  them.  If  the  enthusiastic  zeal  of  these 
men  was  created  by  anything  else  than  to  meet  per- 
sonal responsibility,  do  good  to  men  and  glorify  God, 
they  are  to  be  pitied  indeed.  But  if  they  were  led 
by  the  Holy  Ghost,  then  they  are  to  be  honored  for 
their  work.  Many  of  them  have  entered  into  their 
rest,  but  the  sowing  and  the  planting  they  did  is  still 


108  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

producing  a  harvest  of  glory  annually  as  the  years 
come  and  go. 

The  physical  disadvantages  were  great,  but  the 
fathers  of  the  Miami  Synod  met  even  greater  hinder- 
ances  in  the  moral  and  religious  condition  of  the 
people  to  whom  they  sought  to  dispense  the  gospel. 

They  came  in  the  name  of  a  Church  not  known  to 
sister  denominations, — a  Church  fearfully  misrepre- 
sented by  some  who  thought  and  sought  to  be  its  ad- 
vocates. There  were  conflicts  within  and  conflicts 
without,  and  scoffings  from  indifferent  and  inadvised 
spectators.  There  is  a  chapter  in  the  experience  of 
Lutheranism  on  our  territory  we  could  wish  to  sup- 
press, but  history  will  not  down.  The  facts  have 
gone  on  record.  They  can  not  be  suppressed. 

Prior  to  1820  Lutheran  people  and  their  descend- 
ants constituted  a  part  of  the  great  American  com- 
munity. And  although,  for  reasons  that  cannot  now 
be  given,  they  were  not  especially  prominent,  they 
yet  were  a  Lutheran  Church  in  these  United  States. 

With  the  organization  of  the  General  Synod  the 
great  revival  of  the  present  century  began  among 
them.  Lifeless  inactivity  gave  place  to  the  active 
measures  which  were  encouraged  by  the  "special 
conferences  "  recommended  by  the  General  Synod. 
These  conferences  were  recommended  to  be  held 
either  on  week  day  or  Sunday,  and  not  less  than  two 
days.  The  chief  business  to  be  performed,  was  to 
awaken  and  convert  sinners,  and  to  edify  believers 
by  close  practical  preaching  of  the  gospel.  The 


ANNIVERSARY  ADDRESS.  109 

state  of  religion  in  the  churches  was  to  be  inquired 
into,  and  at  least  one  hour  spent  in  conversation  on 
subjects  relating  to  pastoral  experience. 

These  meetings,  thus  sanctioned  by  such  high 
authority,  had  the  effect  to  fire  the  activity  of  all  the 
churches,  and  the  prayer-meeting,  the  protracted 
meeting,  the  Sunday-school,  the  Young  Men's  Chris- 
tian Association,  the  Young  People's  Meetings,  the 
Young  Women's  Christian  Association,  the  Woman's 
Home  and  Foreign  Missionary  Societies,  the  Chris- 
tian Endeavor  and  Luther  League,  with  the  Church 
Social,  and  the  Mite  Society,  and  the  Pay  Supper,  and 
Missionary  Tea,  all  came  into  existence,  as  ways  in 
which  the  revived  church  expressed  its  new  life. 

This  revivification,  commencing  in  the  General 
Synod  and  affecting  nearly  all  the  Lutheran  Church 
in  this  country,  applies  more  especially,  however,  to 
the  revived  activity  of  the  General  Synod,  the  Gen- 
eral Council,  and  the  United  Synod  South.  The  ac- 
tivity of  the  Scandinavian  and  German  Synods  de- 
pends largely,  if  not  entirely,  upon  the  revival  in  the 
old  country.  Indeed,  that  large  and  important  part 
of  our  Church  found  in  the  German  and  Scandina- 
vian Synods  in  this  country,  had  almost  no  existence 
prior  to  the  last  quarter  of  a  century ;  and  the  great 
things  done  in  that  part  of  the  Church  are  the  result 
of  the  fostering  care  of  the  fatherland  churches,  go- 
ing out  after  and  caring  for  their  own  children. 
Consequently  I  am  not  now  speaking  of  them.  I  am 
considering  the  effect  of  the  revival  upon  the  people 


HO  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

whose  ancestors  were  in  this  country  prior  to  1820. 
I  am  now  speaking  of  the  people  and  their  churches 
who  catne,  more  directly,  from  the  Lutheran  Church 
of  the  early  history  of  our  country. 

And  in  this  synodical  anniversary  we  should  es- 
pecially remember  that  our  work  has  been  largely 
among  the  descendants  of  the  membership  of  these 
early  churches.  They  came  to  southern  Ohio  shortly 
before  and  about  the  time  of  the  organization  of  our 
Synod.  They  were  mostly  people  who  had  been 
under  the  influence  of  revival  measures  in  the  East- 
ern States.  At  least  most  of  their  leaders  had  been, 
and  consequently  their  spiritual  needs  required  a 
ministry  and  a  worship  somewhat  different  from  that 
which  had  been  founded  by  the  early  Lutheran  immi- 
gration to  these  parts.  The  new  Synod,  with  its  more 
active  and  aggressive  measures,  was  a  necessity, 
brought  about  by  the  great  revival  of  religion  that 
prevailed  during  the  early  and  middle  parts  of  this 
century,  among  nearly  all  the  churches  of  Protestant 
Christendom. 

That  this  new  Synod,  with  its  active  measures, 
seemed  to  antagonize  the  old  Ohio  Synod,  was  un- 
avoidable. That  the  antagonism  did  much  mischief, 
no  one  will  deny.  Some,  in  the  new  Synod,  were 
conservative  in  their  views  of  church  work  and  sought 
to  allay  the  bitter  strife,  but  others  were  not.  To 
them  it  seemed  necessary  to  make  radical  changes. 
They  could  have  no  patience  with  what  they  deemed 
dead  churches  and  dead  pastors,  who  would  set 


ANNIVERSARY  ADDRESS.  1 1 1 

themselves  to  oppose  every  movement  inaugurated 
for  the  purpose  of  suppressing  vice,  such  as  gambling, 
drunkenness,  Sabbath  desecration,  profane  swearing, 
and  other  gross  immoralities.  And  they  were  espe- 
cially offended  that  these  churches  and  pastors  would 
oppose  not  only  all  moral  reform  movements,  but 
also  all  active  measures  for  the  evangelization  of 
the  irreligious  masses.  It  seemed  intolerable  that 
this  opposition  should  be  made  in  the  name  of 
pure  doctrine — that  they  should  claim  to  be  the 
only  people  who  adhered  to  the  true  and  pure  Luth- 
eran faith. 

Some  of  the  radical  "  New  Measure  "  people  seemed 
unable  to  distinguish  between  the  doctrinal  preten- 
sions and  the  unchristian  proceedings  of  the  opposers, 
and  began  a  search  for  heresy.  They  claimed,  or  ad- 
mitted what  they  understood  was  chimed  by  others, 
that  the  Lutheran  doctrine  was  at  fault.  They  held 
that  the  old  Lutherans  believed  that  the  Sacraments 
imparted  salvation,  or  a  spiritual  change  "from  the 
mere  outward  performance  of  the  act."  That  some  of 
the  so-called  New  Lutherans  did  believe  that  this 
false  notion  was  entertained  by  some  of  the  so-called 
Old  Lutherans  is  evident  from  the  recorded  proceed- 
ings of  our  own  Synod.  This  heresy-hunting  was 
continued  until  many  of  the  laity  and  some  of  the 
ministry,  in  the  smoke  of  controversy,  were  made  to 
think  that  perhaps,  after  all,  the  miserable  church  life 
of  dead  congregations  was  the  result  of  unsound  doc- 
trine in  the  Augsburg  Confession.  They  were  made 


1 1  2  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

to  think  it,  and  yet  they  could  not  believe  it.  And 
they  were  willing  to  give  the  church  of  their  youth 
and  their  love  the  benefit  of  the  doubt.  They  sought 
to  have  certainty  before  they  could  be  hurried  into  so 
grave  a  step  as  that  of  denouncing  their  own  church. 
Consequently,  they  set  themselves  about  the  work  of 
prayerfully  studying  these  venerable  doctrines  in  the 
light  of  God's  word  and  of  history.  And  they  soon  dis- 
covered the  falsehood  of  setting  up  formality  as  the 
result  of  the  teachings  of  the  Augsburg  Confession. 
And  when  they  had  once  discovered  the  falsehood, 
they  vigorously  denounced  it  as  a  deception,  and  a 
soxil-destroying  misrepresentation  of  the  truth.  And 
thus  liberated  from  the  thraldom  of  the  error,  they  re- 
joiced greatly,  because  they  had  found  the  true  faith 
of  Luther  and  Melanchthon,  a  faith  which  they  could 
heartily  believe ;  and  they  set  themselves  to  the  work 
of  propagating  it  with  an  enthusiasm  they  had  never 
experienced  before. 

The  life-giving  power  of  this  faith  is  seen,  not  in 
the  cold  formality  of  dead  orthodoxy,  nor  yet  in  the 
wild  extravagance  of  mere  sentimentality  and  its  ac- 
companying sensationalism,  but  in  the  true  spirituality 
of  believers,  and  an  orthodox  pietism  such  as  attended 
the  ministry  of  Spener,  Francke,  and  Arndt. 

We  are  now  rejoicing  in  a  conservative  Lutheranism 
which  discards  the  extremes  of  what,  in  the  organiza- 
tion of  our  Synod,  were  known  as  "old  and  new  meas- 
ures ;"  as  orthodoxy  and  latitudinarianism. 

Our  Joint  Ohio  Synod  brethren  are  no  more  willing 


ANNIVERSARY  ADDRESS.  113 

to  unite  with  us  now  than  they  were  then,  but  in 
many  things  essential  to  the  oneness  of  a  great  church, 
having  the  same  fundamental  doctrines,  we  are  cer- 
tainly not  as  far  apart  as  we  were  then.  There  is  now 
some  comity  and  some  willingness  to  admit  that  we 
are  all  Lutherans.  It  is  perhaps  true  that  the  great 
Lutheran  Church  of  this  country  is  to-day  not  so 
much  a  divided  church,  as  it  is  a  church  of  separated 
Synods,  waiting  for  grace  and  knowledge  enough  to 
remove  the  very  unimportant  barriers  to  union.  Or- 
ganic union  will  probably  never  be  effected.  It  may 
never  be  desired.  It  might  not  contribute  to  the 
greater  efficiency  in  the  general  work.  But  it  is  suffi- 
ciently evident  that  the  germs  of  the  Lutheran  doc- 
trine, as  living  and  growing  forces,  are  in  these  sepa- 
rated Synods,  and  under  the  development  of  these 
forces  the  Synods  are  coming  to  the  faith  and  spirit 
of  the  Lutheran  reformers  at  Augsburg.  Whether 
these  germs  of  doctrine  are  expressed  in  the  Augus- 
tana,  or  in  the  Catechism,  or  in  all  the  Symbolical 
Books,  is  of  very  little  account,  as  these  things  are 
only  the  scaffolding,  which  will  be  taken  down  when  the 
building  is  completed.  But  until  the  building  is  com- 
pleted it  would  be  dangerous  and  unwise  to  remove 
the  scaffolding.  But  because  these  germ  doctrines 
are  the  kernel  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  they  them- 
selves will  always  stand.  The  Lutheran  conception 
of  Christ  and  the  plan  of  salvation  is  the  true  one, 
and  the  one  to  which  the  world  will  finally  come. 
This  is  evident  from  what  the  foremost  thinkers  and 


IT4  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

scholars  in  the  sister  churches  are  now  saying  about 
Lutheranism. 

The  physical  difficulties  and  the  adverse  moral 
and  religious  condition  of  the  people  were  not  the 
only  hindrances  in  the  way  of  some  of  the  early 
preachers  of  this  Synod.  Some  of  them  were  exceed- 
ingly embarrassed  by  want  of  suitable  personal  pre- 
paration, and  unfit  for  their  work.  They  had  edu- 
cation, but  it  was  not  in  the  line  of  Lutheranism. 
They  had  a  general  knowledge  of  Church  History,  but 
they  did  not  know  their  own  church.  They  had 
libraries,  but  they  did  not  contain  Lutheran  literature. 
They  had  been  educated  in  the  English  language  and 
had  read  the  Church  literature  of  English-speaking 
churches.  The  immense  wealth  of  literature  in  their 
own  church  was  locked  up  in  a  language  which  was 
foreign  to  them  ;  they  did  not  know  what  it  was,  and 
often  did  not  know  that  it  existed.  Is  it  any  wonder 
that  they  knew  so  much  concerning  the  English- 
speaking  denominations,  and  almost  nothing  of  their 
own  church  ?  Many  of  them  became  studious  men. 
It  can  not  be  charged  that  they  lived  illiterate  lives. 
They  gathered  libraries  and  they  used  them.  Those 
libraries  contained  the  choicest  gems  of  English  Puri- 
tanism, and  the  ablest  productions  of  New  England 
Calvinism,  but  almost  nothing  of  Lutheranism.  True, 
the  Henkels  had  translated  the  Symbolical  books  into 
the  English ;  but  with  the  prejudice  entertained  against 
the  "Old  Measure  "  men,  they  were  loath  to  purchase 
anything  translated  by  them.  Ah  !  yes,  it  must  not 


ANNIVERSARY  ADDRESS.  ng 

be  forgotten  that  about  all  the  Lutheran  literature  in 
English  dress,  found  in  our  present  libraries,  has  come 
into  existence  during  the  last  quarter  of  a  century. 
With  the  facility  we  now  have  of  studying  Lutheran 
theology  in  our  own  English,  it  is  no  wonder  that 
there  is  a  tendency  to  a  more  pronounced  acceptance 
of  its  teachings,  because  when  men  come  to  know 
this  grand  old  Lutheran  doctrine,  they  rise  up  to  call 
it  blessed. 

I  am  profoundly  thankful  to  participate  in  this  \ 
fiftieth  meeting  of  delegates  representing  a  strong  and 
well-organized  Church,  presided  over  by  able  and 
well-supported  pastors.  I  am  thankful  to  have  come 
to  a  time  when  the  grand  work  these  churches  are 
doing  in  the  great  Miami  valley  is  known  and  appre- 
ciated— when  no  one  feels  called  upon  to  apologize 
for  the  existence  of  Lutheranism,  and  no  one  is  found 
asking  what  is  a  Lutheran  Church  ;  a  time  when  our 
Church  is  known  as  the  Church  of  the  Reformation — 
of  the  renaissance  of  Christianity — her  doctrines,  for- 
mulated by  the  best  thinkers  and  most  godly  men  of 
four  hundred  years  of  this  world's  best  history,  are 
believed,  and  they  are  believed  to  contain  the  true 
sense  of  the  word  of  God.  And,  as  whatsoever 
contains  the  true  sense  of  the  word  of  God  cannot 
change,  so  these  doctrines  cannot  change.  They  must 
become  old,  but  that  will  not  make  them  less  true. 
There  is  a  true — there  is  a  one  and  only  sense  of 
the  word  of  God ;  and  whatever  bold  departures 
from  that  true  sense  there  may  be  at  any  time,  pro- 


Il6  HISTORY  OF  MIAMI  SYNOD. 

ducing  agitation,  speculation  and  discussion,  the  end 
of  years  and  ages  will  find  the  people  believing 
the  old  doctrines.  They  never  change,  they  never 
modify,  they  are  the  one  and  only  sense  of  the  word 
of  God.  All  the  wonderful  in  art  and  science  and 
human  progress  must  leave  these  doctrines  the  same, 
just  as  it  must  leave  the  nature  of  God  and  the  essen- 
tials of  matter  the  same.  The  best  outcome  of  Chris- 
tianity will  always  be  on  the  line  of  the  fullest  de- 
velopment of  the  true  sense  of  the  word  of  God.  And 
the  conviction  will  finally  come  to  all  careful  observ- 
ers of  the  progress  of  theological  thought,  that  the 
Christianity  of  the  future  will  be  with  the  people  who 
plant  themselves  firmly  on  the  catholic  creeds,  the 
Apostles'  creed,  and  its  development  as  found  in  the 
Nicene  and  Athanasian  and  Augsburg  and  all  kindred 
creeds.  And  this  will  be  because  God  did  reveal 
Himself  to  the  primitive  Church.  It  is  not  true  that 
He  reserved  the  revelation  of  the  true  sense  of  His 
word  for  this  age  of  wonderful  science  and  most  won- 
derfully conflicting  philosophy.  No  such  reservation 
was  made,  and  consequently  the  wisdom  of  this  age, 
and  all  the  other  ages,  will  never  get  beyond  what  was 
revealed  to  the  primitive  Church. 

This  does  not  mean,  however,  that  the  future  will 
never  develop  the  practical  results  of  what  was  re- 
vealed to  the  apostles,  and  martyrs,  and  reformers. 
The  practical  results  of  the  true  sense  of  the  word  of 
God  are  seen  in  the  grand  thing  of  Christian  power 
in  our  day.  As  the  true  sense  of  the  word  of  God  is 


ANNIVERSARY  ADDRESS.  117 

more  fully  apprehended,  the  watchmen  on  Zion's 
walls  see  more  and  more  eye  to  eye,  and  the  things 
of  error,  and  prejudice,  and  bigotry,  are  discarded. 
Christian  people  grow  in  knowledge  and  truth,  and 
come  into  harmony  as  they  come  into  a  better  un- 
derstanding of  the  great  fundamentals  of  God's  word  ; 
and  they  are  able  to  recognize  each  other  in  their 
oneness  in  Christ.  The  practical  results  will  be  the 
united  strength  of  all  Christian  people  in  the  promo- 
tion of  the  kingdom  of  God.  The  unity  of  all  the 
true  believers  in  Christ  will  be  the  result  of  the  cor- 
rect apprehension  of  the  true  sense  of  God's  word, 
and  the  full  development  of  this  unity  will  be  the  tri- 
umph of  Christ. 


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